*     J  i910 


Division      "gp^  ^ 
Section     #X72. 

\8£>5 


-v 


s 


...   ;..,c  ,,r, 


HUDSON   EDITION 


Mahomet  and  His  Successors 


WASHINGTON   IRVING 


IN  TWO  VOLUMES 


VOLUME  I. 


NEW  YORK 
G.   P.   PUTNAM'S  SONS 

27  and  29  West  23d  Street 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1868,  by 

G.  P.  Putnam  and  Son, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Southern  District 

of  New  York. 


Preface. 


OME  apology  may  seem  necessary  for  present* 
ing  a  life  of  Mahomet  at  the  present  day,  when 
no  new  fact  can  be  added  to  those  already 
known  concerning  him.  Many  years  since,  during  a 
residence  in  Madrid,  the  author  projected  a  series  of 
writings  illustrative  of  the  domination  of  the  Arabs  in 
Spain.  These  were  to  be  introduced  by  a  sketch  of  the 
life  of  the  founder  of  the  Islam  faith,  and  the  first  mover 
of  Arabian  conquest.  Most  of  the  particulars  for  this 
were  drawn  from  Spanish  sources,  and  from  Gagnier's 
translation  of  the  Arabian  historian  Abulfeda,  a  copy  of 
which  the  author  found  in  the  Jesuits'  Library  of  the 
Convent  of  St.  Isidro,  at  Madrid. 

Not  having  followed  out  in  its  extent  the  literary  plan 
devised,  the  manuscript  life  lay  neglected  among  the 
author's  papers  until  the  year  1831,  when  he  revised  and 
enlarged  it  for  the  Family  Library  of  Mr.  John  Murray. 
Circumstances  prevented  its  publication  at  the  time,  and 
it  again  was  thrown  aside  for  years. 

During  his  last  residence  in  Spain,  the  author  beguiled 

7 


3  PREFACE. 

the  tediousness  of  a  lingering  indisposition,  by  again  re- 
vising the  manuscript,  profiting  in  so  doing  by  recent 
lights  thrown  on  the  subject  by  different  writers,  and 
particularly  by  Dr.  Gustav  Weil,  the  very  intelligent  and 
Jearned  librarian  of  the  University  of  Heidelberg,  to 
whose  industrious  researches  and  able  disquisitions,  he 
acknowledges  himself  greatly  indebted.* 

Such  is  the  origin  of  the  work  now  given  to  the  public ; 
on  which  the  author  lays  no  claim  to  novelty  of  fact,  nor 
profundity  of  research.  It  still  bears  the  type  of  a  work 
intended  for  a  Family  Library  ;  in  constructing  which 
the  whole  aim  of  the  writer  has  been  to  digest  into  an 
easy,  perspicuous  and  flowing  narrative,  the  admitted 
facts  concerning  Mahomet,  together  with  such  legends 
and  traditions  as  have  been  wrought  into  the  whole 
system  of  oriental  literature ;  and  at  the  same  time  to 
give  such  a  summary  of  his  faith  as  might  be  sufficient 
for  the  general  reader.  Under  such  circumstances,  he 
has  not  thought  it  worth  while  to  encumber  his  pages 
with  a  scaffolding  of  references  and  citations,  nor  depart 
from  the  old  English  nomenclature  of  oriental  names. 

W.  L 

SUNNYSIDE,  1849. 

*  Mohammed  der  Prophet,  sein  Leben  und  seine  Lehere.  Stuttgart,  1843, 


Contents. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PASS 

Preliminary  Notice  of  Arabia  and  the  Arabs 19 

CHAPTEK  II. 

Birth  and  Parentage  of  Mahomet. — His  Infancy  and  Childhood, ....    36 

CHAPTER  III. 

Traditions  concerning  Mecca  and  the  Caaba 43 

CHAPTER  IV. 

First  Journey  of  Mahomet  with  the  Caravan  to  Syria 48 

CHAPTER  V. 

Commercial  Occupations  of  Mahomet.— His  Marriage  with  Cadijah. .     55 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Conduct  of  Mahomet  after  his  Marriage.— Becomes  anxious  for  Relig- 
ious Reform.— His  Habits  of  Solitary  Abstraction.— The  Vision 

of  the  Cave.— His  Annunciations  as  a  Prophet 00 

9 


1Q  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Mahomet  inculcates  his  Doctrines  secretly  and  slowly.— Receives  fur- 
ther Revelations  and  Commands.— Announcement  to  his  Kin- 
dred.—Manner  in  which  it  was  received.— Enthusiastic  Devotion 
of  Ali. — Christian  Portents 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
Outlines  of  the  Mahometan  Faith 77 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Ridicule  cast  on  Mahomet  and  his  Doctrines. — Demand  for  Miracles. 
—Conduct  of  Abu  Taleb.— Violence  of  the  Koreishites.— Ma- 
homet's Daughter  Rokaia,  with  her  Husband  Othman  and  a 
Number  of  Disciples,  take  Refuge  in  Abyssinia. — Mahomet  in 
the  House  of  Orkham.— Hostility  of  Abu  Jahl ;  his  Punishment.    87 

CHAPTER  X. 

Omar  Ibn  al  Khattab,  Nephew  of  Abu  Jahl,  undertakes  to  revenge 
his  Uncle  by  slaying  Mahomet. — His  wonderful  Conversion  to 
the  Faith. — Mahomet  takes  refuge  in  a  Castle  of  Abu  Taleb. — 
Abu  Sofian,  at  the  head  of  the  rival  Branch  of  Koreishites,  per- 
secutes Mahomet  and  his  Followers.— Obtains  a  Decree  of  Non- 
intercourse  with  them. — Mahomet  leaves  his  Retreat  and  makes 
Converts  during  the  Month  of  Pilgrimage. —Legend  of  the  Con- 
yersion  of  Habib  the  Wise 96 

CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Ban  of  Non-intercourse  mysteriously  destroyed. — Mahomet  en- 
abled to  return  to  Mecca.— Death  of  Abu  Taleb  ;  of  Cadijah.— 
Mahomet  betroths  himself  to  Ayesha.—  Marries  Sawda.— The 
Koreishites  renew  their  Persecution.  -Mahomet  seeks  an  Asylum 


CONTENTS.  11 


TAGE 


In  Tayef . — His  Expulsion  thence. — Visited  by  Genii  in  the  Desert 
of  Naklah 107 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Night  Journey  of  the  Prophet  from  Mecca  to  Jerusalem ;  and  thence 
to  the  Seventh  Heaven 116 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Mahomet  makes  Converts  of  Pilgrims  from  Medina. — Determines  to 
fly  to  that  City. — A  Plot  to  slay  him. — His  Miraculous  Escape. — 
His  Hegira,  or  Flight. — His  Reception  at  Medina 131 

CHAPTER   XIV. 

Moslems  in  Medina,  Mohadjerins  and  Ansarians. — The  party  of  Ab- 
dallah  Ibn  Obba  and  the  Hypocrites. — Mahomet  builds  a 
Mosque  ;  preaches  ;  makes  Converts  among  the  Christians. — 
The  Jews  slow  to  believe. — Brotherhood  established  between 
Fugitives  and  Allies 144 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Marriage  of  Mahomet  with  Ayesha. — Of  his  Daughter  Fatima  with 
Ali. — Their  Household  Arrangements 152 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  Sword  announced  as  the  Instrument  of  Faith. — First  Foray 
against  the  Koreishites.— Surprisal  of  a  Caravan 156 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
The  Battle  of  Beder 168 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Death  of  the  Prophet's  Daughter  Rokaia. — Restoration  of  his  Daugh- 
ter Zeinab. — Effect  of  the  Prophet's  Malediction  on  Abu  Lahab 


12  CONTENTS. 

PASS 

and  his  Family.— Frantic  Rage  of  Henda,  the  Wife  of  Abu 
Sofian. — Mahomet  narrowly  escapes  Assassination. — Embassy  of 
the  Koreishites. — The  King  of  Abyssinia 174 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Growing  Power  of  Mahomet. — His  Resentment  against  the  Jews.— 
Insult  to  an  Arab  Damsel  by  the  Jewish  tribes  of  Kainoka. — A 
Tumult. — The  Beni  Kainoka  take  Refuge  in  their  Castle. — Sub- 
dued and  punished  by  Confiscation  and  Banishment. — Marriage 
of  Oth  man  to  the  Prophet's  Daughter  Omm  Kolthum,  and  of  the 
Prophet  to  Hafza 180 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Henda  incites  Abu  Sofian  and  the  Koreishites  to  revenge  the  Death 
of  her  Relations  slain  in  the  Battle  of  Beder. — The  Koreishites 
sally  forth,  followed  by  Henda  and  her  Female  Companions. — 
Battle  of  Ohod. — Ferocious  Triumph  of  Henda. — Mahomet  con- 
soles himself  by  marrying  Hend,  the  Daughter  of  Omeya 185 

CHAPTER  XXL 

Treachery  of  certain  Jewish  Tribes  ;  their  Punishment. — Devotion 
of  the  Prophet's  Freedman  Zeid  ;  Divorces  his  Beautiful  Wife 
Zeinab,  that  she  may  become  the  Wife  of  the  Prophet 193 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Expedition  of  Mahomet  against  the  Beni  Mostalek. — He  espouses 
Barra,  a  Captive.— Treachery  of  Abdallah  Bon  Obba.— Ayesha 
slandered. — Her  Vindication. — Her  Innocence  proved  by  a  Reve- 
lation   199 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

The  Battle  of  the  Moat.— Bravery  of  Saad  Ibn  Moad.— Defeat  of  the 
Koreishites.— Capture  of  the  Jewish  Castle  of  Koraida.— Saad 


CONTENTS.  13 

FAGS 

decides  as  to  the  Punishment  of  the  Jews. — Mahomet  Espouses 
Rehana,  a  Jewish  Captive. — His  Life  endangered  by  Sorcery; 
saved  by  a  Revelation  of  the  Angel  Gabriel 206 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

Mahomet  undertakes  a  Pilgrimage  to  Mecca. — Evades  Khaled  and  a 
Troop  of  Horse  sent  against  him. — Encamps  near  Mecca. — Ne- 
gotiates with  the  Koreishites  for  Permission  to  enter  and  com- 
plete his  Pilgrimage.— Treaty  for  ten  Years,  by  which  he  is  per- 
mitted to  make  a  yearly  Visit  of  three  Days.— He  returns  to 
Medina 217 

CHAPTER    XXV. 

Expedition  against  the  City  of  Khaiibar  ;  Siege. — Exploits  of  Ma- 
homet's Captains. — Battle  of  Ali  and  Marhab. — Storming  of  the 
Citadel. — Ali  makes  a  Buckler  of  the  Gate.— Capture  of  the 
Place. — Mahomet  poisoned;  he  marries  Safiya,  a  Captive;  also 
Omn  Habiba,  a  Widow 223 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Missions  to  various  Princes ;  to  Heraclius ;  to  Khosru  II. ;  to  the  Pre- 
fect of  Egypt.— Their  Result 23l 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Mahomet's  Pilgrimage  to  Mecca ;  his  Marriage  with  Maimuna.— 
Khaled  Ibn  al  Waled  and  Amru  Ibn  al  Aass  become  Proselytes. .  235 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

A  Moslem  Envoy  slain  in  Syria.— Expedition  to  avenge  his  Death.— 
Battle  of  Muta.— Its  Results 238 


14  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

PA«K 

Designs  upon  Mecca.— Mission  of  Abu  Sofian.— Its  Result 343 

CHAPTER  XXX. 
Surprise  and  Capture  of  Mecca 247 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

Hostilities  in  the  Mountains.— Enemy's  Camp  in  the  Valley  of  Autas. 
— Battle  of  the  Pass  of  Honein. — Capture  of  the  Enemy's  Camp. 
— Interview  of  Mahomet  with  the  Nurse  of  his  Childhood. — Divi- 
sion of  Spoil. — Mahomet  at  his  Mother's  Grave 264 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

Death  of  the  Prophet's  Daughter  Zeinab. — Birth  of  his  son  Ibra- 
him.—Deputations  from  Distant  Tribes. — Poetical  Contest  in 
Presence  of  the  Prophet. — His  Susceptibility  to  the  Charms  of 
Poetry.  —Reduction  of  the  City  of  Tayef ;  Destruction  of  its  Idols. 
— Negotiation  with  Amir  Ibn  Tafiel,  a  proud  Bedouin  Chief;  In- 
dependent Spirit  of  the  latter. — Interview  of  Adi,  another  Chief, 
^ith  Mahomet 279 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

Preparations  for  an  Expedition  against  Syria. — Intrigues  of  Abdal- 
lah  Ibn  Obba. — Contributions  of  the  Faithful. — March  of  the 
Army. —  The  Accursed  Region  of  Hajar. —  Encampment  at 
Tabuc— Subjugation   of   the  neighboring   Provinces. — Khaled 


CONTENTS.  15 

PAGE 

surprises  Okaider  and  his  Castle.— Return  of  the  Army  to  Me- 
dina   286 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

Triumphal  Entry  into  Medina.— Punishment  of  those  who  had  refused 
to  join  the  Campaign. — Effects  of  Excommunication. — Death  of 
Abdallah  Ibn  Obba.— Dissensions  in  the  Prophet's  Harem 296 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

Abu  Beker  conducts  the  Yearly  Pilgrimage  to  Mecca.— Mission  of 
Ali  to  announce  a  Revelation 301 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

Mahomet  sends  his  Captains  on  distant  Enterprises. — Appoints  Lieu- 
tenants to  govern  in  Arabia  Felix.— Sends  Ali  to  suppress  an 
Insurrection  in  that  Province. — Death  of  the  Prophet's  only  Son 
Ibrahim.— His  Conduct  at  the  Death-bed  and  the  Grave.— His 
growing  Infirmities.— His  Valedictory  Pilgrimage  to  Mecca,  and 
his  Conduct  and  Preaching  while  there 304 

CHAPTER   XXXVII. 

Of  the  two  False  Prophets,  Al  Aswad  and  Mose'ilma 814 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

An  Army  prepared  to  march  against  Syria. — Command  given  to 
Osama.— The  Prophet's  Farewell  Address  to  the  Troops.— His 
Last  Illness.— His  Sermons  in  the  Mosque.— His  Death  and  the 
Attending  Circumstances 318 


Iq  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

PAGH 

Person  and  Character  of  Mahomet  and  Speculations  on  his  Prophetic 
Career 331 


849 
Appendix "* 


Mahomet  and  his  Successors. 


CHAPTEE  L 

PRELIMINARY  NOTICE  OF  ARABIA  AND  THE  ARABS. 

UEING  a  long  succession  of  ages,  extending 
from  the  earliest  period  of  recorded  history 
down  to  the  seventh  century  of  the  Christian 
era,  that  great  chersonese  or  peninsula  formed  by  the 
Eed  Sea,  the  Euphrates,  the  Gulf  of  Persia,  and  the 
Indian  Ocean,  and  known  by  the  name  of  Arabia,  re- 
mained unchanged  and  almost  unaffected  by  the  events 
which  convulsed  the  rest  of  Asia,  and  shook  Europe  and 
Africa  to  their  centre.  While  kingdoms  and  empires  rose 
and  fell ;  while  ancient  dynasties  passed  away  ;  while  the 
boundaries  and  names  of  countries  were  changed,  and 
their  inhabitants  were  exterminated  or  carried  into  cap- 
tivity, Arabia,  though  its  frontier  provinces  experienced 
some  vicissitudes,  preserved  in  the  depths  of  its  deserts 
its  primitive  character  and  independence,  nor  had  its  no- 
madic tribes  ever  bent  their  haughty  necks  to  servitude. 

19 


20  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

The  Arabs  carry  back  the  traditions  of  their  country 
to  the  highest  antiquity.  It  was  peopled,  they  say,  soon 
after  the  deluge,  by  the  progeny  of  Shem  the  son  of 
Noah,  who  gradually  formed  themselves  into  several 
tribes,  the  most  noted  of  which  are  the  Adites  and 
Thamudites.  All  these  primitive  tribes  are  said  to  have 
been  either  swept  from  the  earth  in  punishment  of  their 
iniquities,  or  obliterated  in  subsequent  modifications  of 
the  races,  so  that  little  remains  concerning  them  but 
shadowy  traditions  and  a  few  passages  in  the  Koran. 
They  are  occasionally  mentioned  in  oriental  history  as 
the  "  old  primitive  Arabians," — the  "  lost  tribes." 

The  primitive  population  of  the  peninsula  is  ascribed, 
by  the  same  authorities,  to  Kahtan  or  Joctan,  a  descend- 
ant in  the  fourth  generation  from  Shem.  His  posterity 
spread  over  the  southern  part  of  the  peninsula  and  along 
the  Red  Sea.  Yarab,  one  of  his  sons,  founded  the  king- 
dom of  Yemen,  where  the  territory  of  Araba  was  called 
after  him ;  whence  the  Arabs  derive  the  names  of  them- 
selves and  their  country.  Jurham,  another  son,  founded 
the  kingdom  of  Hedjaz,  over  which  his  descendants  bore 
sway  for  many  generations.  Among  these  people  Hagar 
and  her  son  Ishmael  were  kindly  received,  when  exiled 
from  their  home  by  the  patriarch  Abraham.  In  the  pro- 
cess of  time  Ishmael  married  the  daughter  of  Modad, 
a  reigning  prince  of  the  line  of  Jurham ;  and  thus  a 
stranger  and  a  Hebrew  became  grafted  on  the  original 
Arabian  stock.     It  proved  a  vigorous  graft.     Ishmael's 


ORIGIN  OF  THE  ARABS.  21 

wife  bore  him  twelve  sons,  who  acquired  dominion  over 
the  country,  and  whose  prolific  race,  divided  into  twelve 
tribes,  expelled  or  overran  and  obliterated  the  primitive 
stock  of  Joctan. 

Such  is  the  account  given  by  the  peninsular  Arabs  of 
their  origin ;  *  and  Christian  writers  cite  it  as  containing 
the  fulfillment  of  the  covenant  of  God  with  Abraham,  as 
recorded  in  Holy  Writ.  "  And  Abraham  said  unto  God, 
O  that  Ishmael  might  live  before  thee.  And  God  said, 
As  for  Ishmael,  I  have  heard  thee.  Behold,  I  have 
blessed  him,  and  will  make  him  fruitful,  and  will  multi- 
ply him  exceedingly  :  twelve  princes  shall  he  beget,  and  I 
will  make  him  a  great  nation."     (Genesis  xvii.  18,  20.) 

These  twelve  princes  with  their  tribes  are  further 
spoken  of  in  the  Scriptures  (Genesis  xxv.  18)  as  occupying 
the  country  "  from  Havilah  unto  Shur,  that  is  before 
Egypt,  as  thou  goest  towards  Assyria ;  "  a  region  identi- 
fied by  sacred  geographers  with  part  of  Arabia.  The  de- 
scription of  them  agrees  with  that  of  the  Arabs  of  the 
present  day.  Some  are  mentioned  as  holding  towns  and 
castles,  others  as  dwelling  in  tents,  or  having  villages  in 

*  Besides  the  Arabs  of  the  peninsula,  who  were  all  of  the  Shemitic 
race,  there  were  others  called  Cushites,  being  descended  from  Cush  the 
son  of  Ham.  They  inhabited  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates  and  the  Persian 
Gulf.  The  name  of  Cush  is  often  given  in  Scripture  to  the  Arabs  gener- 
ally as  well  as  to  their  country.  It  must  be  the  Arabs  of  this  race  who 
at  present  roam  the  deserted  regions  of  ancient  Assyria,  and  have  been 
employed  recently  in  disinterring  the  long-buried  ruins  of  Nineveh.  They 
are  sometimes  distinguished  as  the  Syro- Arabians.  The  present  work  re- 
lates only  to  the  Arabs  of  the  peninsula,  or  Arabia  Proper. 


22  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

the  wilderness.  Nebaioth  and  Kedar,  the  two  first-born 
of  Ishmael,  are  most  noted  among  the  princes  for  their 
wealth  in  flocks  and  herds,  and  for  the  fine  wool  of  their 
sheep.  From  Nebaioth  came  the  Nebaithai  who  inhab- 
ited Stony  Arabia ;  while  the  name  of  Kedar  is  occasion- 
ally given  in  Holy  Writ  to  designate  the  whole  Arabian 
nation.  "Woe  is  me,"  says  the  Psalmist,  "that  I  so- 
journ in  Mesech,  that  I  dwell  in  the  tents  of  Kedar." 
Both  appear  to  have  been  the  progenitors  of  the  wander- 
ing or  pastoral  Arabs ;  the  free  rovers  of  the  desert. 
"  The  wealthy  nation,"  says  the  prophet  Jeremiah,  "  that 
dwelleth  without  care ;  which  have  neither  gates  nor 
bars,  which  dwell  alone." 

A  strong  distinction  grew  up  in  the  earliest  times  be- 
tween the  Arabs  who  "held  towns  and  castles,"  and 
those  who  "  dwelt  in  tents."  Some  of  the  former  occu- 
pied the  fertile  wadies,  or  valleys,  scattered  here  and 
there  among  the  mountains,  where  these  towns  and  cas- 
tles were  surrounded  by  vineyards  and  orchards,  groves 
of  palm  trees,  fields  of  grain,  and  well-stocked  pastures. 
They  were  settled  in  their  habits,  devoting  themselves  to 
the  cultivation  of  the  soil  and  the  breeding  of  cattle. 

Others  of  this  class  gave  themselves  up  to  commerce, 
having  ports  and  cities  along  the  Bed  Sea ;  the  southern 
shores  of  the  peninsula  and  the  Gulf  of  Persia,  and  car- 
rying on  foreign  trade  by  means  of  ships  and  caravans. 
Such  especially  were  the  people  of  Yemen,  or  Arabia 
the  Happy,  that  land  of  spices,  perfumes,  and  frankjto- 


INLAND  COMMERCE,  23 

cense ;  the  Sabsea  of  the  poets  ;  the  Sheba  of  the  sacred 
Scriptures.  They  were  among  the  most  active  mercan- 
tile navigators  of  the  eastern  seas.  Their  ships  brought 
to  their  shores  the  myrrh  and  balsams  of  the  opposite 
coast  of  Berbera,  with  the  gold,  the  spices,  and  other  rich 
commodities  of  India  and  tropical  Africa.  These,  with 
the  products  of  their  own  country,  were  transported  by 
caravans  across  the  deserts  to  the  semi-Arabian  states  of 
Ammon,  Moab,  and  Edom  or  Idumea,  to  the  Phoenician 
ports  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  thence  distributed  to  the 
western  world. 

The  camel  has  been  termed  the  ship  of  the  desert,  the 
caravan  may  be  termed  its  fleet.  The  caravans  of  Yemen 
were  generally  fitted  out,  manned,  conducted,  and  guarded 
by  the  nomadic  Arabs,  the  dwellers  in  tents,  who,  in  this 
respect,  might  be  called  the  navigators  of  the  desert. 
They  furnished  the  innumerable  camels  required,  and 
also  contributed  to  the  freight  by  the  fine  fleeces  of  their 
countless  flocks.  The  writings  of  the  prophets  show  the 
importance,  in  Scriptural  times,  of  this  inland  chain  of 
commerce,  by  which  the  rich  countries  of  the  south, 
India,  Ethiopia,  and  Arabia  the  Happy,  were  linked  with 
ancient  Syria. 

Ezekiel,  in  his  lamentations  for  Tyre,  exclaims,  "Arabia 
and  all  the  princes  of  Kedar,  they  occupied  with  thee  in 
lambs,  and  rams,  and  goats ;  in  these  were  they  thy  mer- 
chants. The  merchants  of  Sheba  and  Eaamah  occupied 
in  thy  fairs  with  chief  of  all  spices,  and  with  all  precioua 


24  MAHOMET  AND  U1S  SUCCESSORS. 

stones  and  gold.  Haran,  and  Canneh,  and  Eden,*  the 
merchants  of  Sheba,  Asshur,  and  Chelmad,  were  thy 
merchants."  And  Isaiah,  speaking  to  Jerusalem,  says— 
"  The  multitude  of  camels  shall  cover  thee ;  the  drome- 
daries of  Midian  and  Ephah  ;  all  they  from  Sheba  shall 

come  ;  they  shall  bring  gold  and  incense All 

the  flocks  of  Kedar  shall  be  gathered  together  unto  thee  ; 
the  rams  of  Nebaioth  shall  minister  unto  thee."  (Isaiah 
lx.  6,  7.) 

The  agriculturing  and  trading  Arabs,  however,  the 
dwellers  in  towns  and  cities,  have  never  been  considered 
the  true  type  of  the  race.  They  became  softened  by  set- 
tled and  peaceful  occupations,  and  lost  much  of  their 
original  stamp  by  an  intercourse  with  strangers.  Yemen, 
too,  being  more  accessible  than  the  other  parts  of  Arabia, 
and  offering  greater  temptation  to  the  spoiler,  had  been 
repeatedly  invaded  and  subdued. 

It  was  among  the  other  class  of  Arabs,  the  rovers  of 
the  desert,  the  "dwellers  in  tents,"  by  far  the  most 
numerous  of  the  two,  that  the  national  character  was 
preserved  in  all  its  primitive  force  and  freshness.  No- 
madic in  their  habits,  pastoral  in  their  occupations,  and 
acquainted  by  experience  and  tradition  with  all  the  hid- 
den resources  of  the  desert,  they  led  a  wandering  life, 
roaming  from  place  to  place  in  quest  of  those  wells  and 
springs  which  had  been  the  resort  of  their  forefathers 

*  Haran,  Canna,  and  Aden,  ports  on  the  Indian  Sea. 


NATIONAL  CHARACTER.  25 

since  the  days  of  the  patriarchs ;  encamping  wherever 
they  could  find  date-trees  for  shade,  and  sustenance  and 
pasturage  for  their  flocks,  and  herds,  and  camels ;  and 
shifting  their  abode  whenever  the  temporary  supply  was 
exhausted. 

These  nomadic  Arabs  were  divided  and  subdivided  into 
innumerable  petty  tribes  or  families,  each  with  its 
Sheikh  or  Emir,  the  representative  of  the  patriarch  of 
yore,  whose  spear,  planted  beside  his  tent,  was  the  en- 
sign of  command.  His  office,  however,  though  continued 
for  many  generations  in  the  same  family,  was  not  strictly 
hereditary ;  but  depended  upon  the  good-will  of  the 
tribe.  He  might  be  deposed,  and  another  of  a  different 
line  elected  in  his  place.  His  power,  too,  was  limited, 
and  depended  upon  his  personal  merit  and  the  confidence 
reposed  in  him.  His  prerogative  consisted  in  conducting 
negotiations  of  peace  and  war;  in  leading  his  tribe 
against  the  enemy ;  in  choosing  the  place  of  encampment, 
and  in  receiving  and  entertaining  strangers  of  note.  Yet, 
even  in  these  and  similar  privileges,  he  was  controlled 
by  the  opinions  and  inclinations  of  his  people.* 

*  In  summer  the  wandering  Arabs,  says  Burckhardt,  seldom  remain 
above  three  or  four  days  on  the  same  spot ;  as  soon  as  their  cattle  have 
consumed  the  herbage  near  a  watering  place,  the  tribe  removes  in  search 
of  pasture,  and  the  grass  again  springing  up,  serves  for  a  succeeding 
camp.  The  encampments  vary  in  the  number  of  tents,  from  six  to  eight 
hundred ;  when  the  tents  are  but  few,  they  are  pitched  in  a  circle ;  but 
more  considerable  numbers  in  a  straight  line,  or  a  row  of  single  tents, 
especially  along  a  rivulet,  sometimes  three  or  four  behind  as  many  others. 
In  winter,  when  water  and  pasture  never  fail,  the  whole  tribe  spreads 


26  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

However  numerous  and  minute  might  be  the  divisions 
of  a  tribe,  the  links  of  affinity  were  carefully  kept  in 
mind  by  the  several  sections.  All  the  Sheikhs  of  the 
same  tribe  acknowledge  a  common  chief  called  the 
Sheikh  of  Sheikhs,  who,  whether  ensconced  in  a  rock- 
built  castle,  or  encamped  amid  his  flocks  and  herds  in  the 
desert,  might  assemble  under  his  standard  all  the  scat- 
tered branches  on  any  emergency  affecting  the  common 
weal. 


itself  over  the  plain  in  parties  of  three  or  four  tents  each,  with  an  inter- 
val of  half  an  hour's  distance  between  each  party.  The  Sheikh's  tent  is 
always  on  the  side  on  which  enemies  or  guests  may  be  expected.  To  op- 
pose the  former  and  to  honor  the  latter,  is  the  Sheikh's  principal  busi- 
ness. Every  father  of  a  family  sticks  his  lance  into  the  ground  by  the 
side  of  his  tent,  and  ties  his  horse  in  front.  There  also  his  camels  repose 
at  night. — Burckhardt,  Notes  on  Bedouins,  vol.  i.  p.  33. 

The  following  is  descriptive  of  the  Arabs  of  Assyria,  though  it  is  ap- 
plicable, in  a  great  degree,  to  the  whole  race : — 

"  It  would  be  difficult  to  describe  the  appearance  of  a  large  tribe  when 
migrating  to  new  pastures.  We  soon  found  ourselves  in  the  midst  of 
wide-spreading  flocks  of  sheep  and  camels.  As  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach,  to  the  right,  to  the  left,  and  in  front,  still  the  same  moving  crowd. 
Long  lines  of  asses  and  bullocks,  laden  with  black  tents,  huge  cauldrons, 
and  variegated  carpets  ;  aged  women  and  men,  no  longer  able  to  walk, 
tied  on  the  heap  of  domestic  furniture;  infants  crammed  into  saddle- 
bags, their  tiny  heads  thrust  through  the  narrow  opening,  balanced  on 
the  animal's  back  by  kids  or  lambs  tied  on  the  opposite  side  ;  young 
girls  clothed  only  in  the  close-fitting  Arab  shirt,  which  displayed  rather 
than  concealed  their  graceful  forms ;  mothers  with  their  children  on  their 
shoulders;  boys  driving  flocks  of  lambs;  horsemen  armed  with  their  long 
tufted  spears,  scouring  the  plain  on  their  fleet  mares ;  riders  urging  their 
dromedaries  with  their  short-hooked  sticks,  and  leading  their  high-bred 
steeds  by  the  halter  ;  colts  galloping  among  the  throng  ;  such  was  the 
motley  crowd  through  which  we  had  to  wend  our  way." — Layard's  Nvn& 
veh,  i.  4. 


INURED   TO  WAR.  27 

The  multiplicity  of  these  wandering  tribes,  each  with 
its  petty  prince  and  petty  territory,  but  without  a  na- 
tional head,  produced  frequent  collisions.  Revenge,  toe, 
was  almost  a  religious  principle  among  them.  To  avenge 
a  relative  slain  was  the  duty  of  his  family,  and  often  in- 
volved the  honor  of  his  tribe ;  and  these  debts  of  blood 
sometimes  remained  unsettled  for  generations,  producing 
deadly  feuds. 

The  necessity  of  being  always  on  the  alert  to  defend 
his  flocks  and  herds,  made  the  Arab  of  the  desert  familiar 
from  his  infancy  with  the  exercise  of  arms.  None  could 
excel  him  in  the  use  of  the  bow,  the  lance,  and  the  scim- 
itar, and  the  adroit  and  graceful  management  of  the 
horse.  He  was  a  predatory  warrior  also ;  for  though  at 
times  he  was  engaged  in  the  service  of  the  merchant,  fur- 
nishing him  with  camels  and  guides  and  drivers  for  the 
transportation  of  his  merchandise,  he  was  more  apt  to 
iay  contributions  on  the  caravan,  or  plunder  it  outright 
in  its  toilful  progress  through  the  desert.  All  this  he  re- 
garded as  a  legitimate  exercise  of  arms;  looking  down 
upon  the  gainful  sons  of  traffic  as  an  inferior  race,  de- 
i  -ased  by  sordid  habits  and  pursuits. 

Such  was  the  Arab  of  the  desert,  the  dweller  in  tents, 
in  whom  was  fulfilled  the  prophetic  destiny  of  his  ances- 
tor Ishmael.  "  He  will  be  a  wild  man  ;  his  hand  will  be 
against  every  man,  and  every  man's  hand  against  him."  * 

*  Genesis  xvi.  12. 


28  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

Nature  had  fitted  him  for  his  destiny.  His  form  was 
light  and  meagre,  but  sinewy  and  active,  and  capable  oi 
sustaining  great  fatigue  and  hardship.  He  was  temper- 
ate and  even  abstemious,  requiring  but  little  food,  and 
that  of  the  simplest  kind.  His  mind,  like  his  body,  was 
light  and  agile.  He  eminently  possessed  the  intellectual 
attributes  of  the  Shemitic  race,  penetrating  sagacity,  sub- 
tle wit,  a  ready  conception,  and  a  brilliant  imagination. 
His  sensibilities  were  quick  and  acute,  though  not  last- 
ing ;  a  proud  and  daring  spirit  was  stamped  on  his  sal- 
low visage  and  flashed  from  his  dark  and  kindling  eye. 
He  was  easily  aroused  by  the  appeals  of  eloquence,  and 
charmed  by  the  graces  of  poetry.  Speaking  a  language 
copious  in  the  extreme,  the  words  of  which  have  been  com- 
pared to  gems  and  flowers,  he  was  naturally  an  orator ; 
but  he  delighted  in  proverbs  and  apothegms,  rather  than 
in  sustained  flights  of  declamation,  and  was  prone  to  con- 
vey his  ideas  in  the  oriental  style,  by  apologue  and  parable. 

Though  a  restless  and  predatory  warrior,  he  was  gen- 
erous and  hospitable.  He  delighted  in  giving  gifts  ;  his 
door  was  always  open  to  the  wayfarer,  with  whom  he  was 
ready  to  share  his  last  morsel ;  and  his  deadliest  foe, 
having  once  broken  bread  with  him,  might  repose  se- 
curely beneath  the  inviolable  sanctity  of  his  tent. 

In  religion  the  Arabs,  in  what  they  term  the  Days  of 
Ignorance,  partook  largely  of  the  two  faiths,  the  Sabean 
and  the  Magian,  which  at  that  time  prevailed  over  the 
eastern  world.      The  Sabean,  however,  was  the  one  to 


RELIGION  OF  THE  ARABS.  29 

which  they  most  adhered.  They  pretended  to  derive  it 
from  Sabi  the  son  of  Seth,  who,  with  his  father  and  his 
brother  Enoch,  they  supposed  to  be  buried  in  the  pyra- 
mids. Others  derive  the  name  from  the  Hebrew  word, 
Saba,  or  the  stars,  and  trace  the  origin  of  the  faith  to  the 
Assyrian  shepherds,  who  as  they  watched  their  flocks  by 
night  on  their  level  plains,  and  beneath  their  cloudless 
skies,  noted  the  aspects  and  movements  of  the  heavenly 
bodies,  and  formed  theories  of  their  good  and  evil  influ- 
ences on  human  affairs  ;  vague  notions  which  the  Chaldean 
philosophers  and  priests  reduced  to  a  system,  supposed 
to  be  more  ancient  even  than  that  of  the  Egyptians. 

By  others  it  is  derived  from  still  higher  authority,  and 
claimed  to  be  the  religion  of  the  antediluvian  world.  It 
survived,  say  they,  the  Deluge,  and  was  continued  among 
the  patriarchs.  It  was  taught  by  Abraham,  adopted  by 
his  descendants,  the  children  of  Israel,  and  sanctified  and 
confirmed  in  the  tablets  of  the  law  delivered  unto  Moses, 
amid  the  thunder  and  lightning  of  Mount  Sinai. 

In  its  original  state  the  Sabean  faith  was  pure  and 
spiritual ;  inculcating  a  belief  in  the  unity  of  God,  the 
doctrine  of  a  future  state  of  rewards  and  punishments, 
and  the  necessity  of  a  virtuous  and  holy  life  to  obtain  a 
happy  immortality.  So  profound  was  the  reverence  of 
the  Sabeans  for  the  Supreme  Being,  that  they  never 
mentioned  his  name,  nor  did  they  venture  to  approach 
him,  but  through  intermediate  intelligences  or  angels. 
These  were  supposed  to  inhabit  and  animate  the  heay- 


30  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

enly  bodies  in  the  same  way  as  the  human  body  is  inhab- 
ited and  animated  by  a  soul.  They  were  placed  in  their 
respective  spheres  to  supervise  and  govern  the  universe 
in  subserviency  to  the  Most  High.  In  addressing  them- 
selves to  the  stars  and  other  celestial  luminaries,  there- 
fore, the  Sabeans  did  not  worship  them  as  deities,  but 
sought  only  to  propitiate  their  angelic  occupants  as  in 
tercessors  with  the  Supreme  Being  ;  looking  up  through 
these  created  things  to  God  the  great  Creator. 

By  degrees  this  religion  lost  its  original  simplicity  and 
purity,  and  became  obscured  by  mysteries,  and  degraded 
by  idolatries.  The  Sabeans,  instead  of  regarding  the 
heavenly  bodies  as  the  habitations  of  intermediate 
agents,  worshipped  them  as  deities ;  set  up  graven  images 
in  honor  of  them,  in  sacred  groves  and  in  the  gloom  of 
forests ;  and  at  length  enshrined  these  idols  in  temples, 
and  worshipped  them  as  if  instinct  with  divinity.  The 
Sabean  faith  too  underwent  changes  and  modifications 
in  the  various  countries  through  which  it  was  diffused. 
Egypt  has  long  been  accused  of  reducing  it  to  the  most 
abject  state  of  degradation ;  the  statues,  hieroglyphics, 
and  painted  sepulchres  of  that  mysterious  country,  being 
considered  records  of  the  worship,  not  merely  of  celestial 
intelligences,  but  of  the  lowest  order  of  created  beings, 
and  even  of  inanimate  objects.  Modern  investigation  and 
research,  however,  are  gradually  rescuing  the  most  intel- 
lectual nation  of  antiquity  from  this  aspersion,  and  as 
they  slowly  lift  the  veil  of  mystery  which  hangs  over  the 


RIVAL  8ECT8.  31 

fcombs  of  Egypt,  are  discovering  that  all  these  apparent 
objects  of  adoration  were  but  symbols  of  the  varied  attri- 
butes of  the  one  Supreme  Being,  whose  name  was  too 
sacred  to  be  pronounced  by  mortals.  Among  the  Arabs 
the  Sabean  faith  became  mingled  with  wild  superstitions, 
and  degraded  by  gross  idolatry.  Each  tribe  worshipped 
its  particular  star  or  planet,  or  set  up  its  particular  idol. 
Infanticide  mingled  its  horrors  with  their  religious  rites. 
Among  the  nomadic  tribes  the  birth  of  a  daughter  was 
considered  a  misfortune,  her  sex  rendering  her  of  little 
service  in  a  wandering  and  predatory  life,  while  she 
might  bring  disgrace  upon  her  family  by  misconduct  or 
captivity.  Motives  of  unnatural  policy,  therefore,  may 
have  mingled  with  their  religious  feelings,  in  offering  up 
female  infants  as  sacrifices  to  their  idols,  or  in  burying 
them  alive. 

The  rival  sect  of  Magians  or  Guebres  (fire  worshippers), 
which,  as  we  have  said,  divided  the  religious  empire  of  the 
East,  took  its  rise  in  Persia,  where,  after  a  while,  its  oral 
doctrines  were  reduced  to  writing  by  its  great  prophet 
and  teacher  Zoroaster,  in  his  volume  of  the  Zend-avesta. 
The  creed,  like  that  of  the  Sabeans,  wm  originally  simple 
And  spiritual,  inculcating  a  belief  in  one  supreme  and 
eternal  God,  in  whom  and  by  whom  the  universe  exists ; 
that  he  produced,  through  his  creating  word,  two  active 
principles,  Ormusd,  the  principle  or  angel  of  light  or 
good,  and  Ahriman,  the  principle  or  angel  of  darkness  or 
©vil :  that  these  formed  the  world  out  of  a  mixture  of 


32  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

their  opposite  elements,  and  were  engaged  in  a  perpetual 
contest  in  the  regulation  of  its  affairs.  Hence  the  vicissi- 
tudes of  good  and  evil,  accordingly  as  the  angel  of  light 
or  darkness  has  the  upper  hand  :  this  contest  would  con- 
tinue until  the  end  of  the  world,  when  there  would  be  a 
general  resurrection  and  a  day  of  judgment;  the  angel 
of  darkness  and  his  disciples  would  then  be  banished  to 
an  abode  of  woful  gloom,  and  their  opponents  would 
enter  the  blissful  realms  of  ever-during  light. 

The  primitive  rites  of  this  religion  were  extremely 
simple.  The  Magians  had  neither  temples,  altars,  nor 
religious  symbols  of  any  kind,  but  addressed  their 
prayers  and  hymns  directly  to  the  Deity,  in  what  they 
conceived  to  be  his  residence,  the  sun.  They  reverenced 
this  luminary  as  being  his  abode,  and  as  the  source  of 
the  light  and  heat  of  which  all  the  other  heavenly  bodies 
were  composed ;  and  they  kindled  fires  upon  the  moun- 
tain tops  to  supply  light  during  its  absence.  Zoroaster 
first  introduced  the  use  of  temples,  wherein  sacred  fire, 
pretended  to  be  derived  from  heaven,  was  kept  perpet- 
ually alive  through  the  guardianship  of  priests,  who 
maintained  a  watch  over  it  night  and  day. 

In  process  of  time  this  sect,  like  that  of  the  Sabeans, 
lost  sight  of  the  Divine  principle  in  the  symbol,  and  came 
to  worship  light  or  fire,  as  the  real  Deity,  and  to  abhor 
darkness  as  Satan  or  the  devil.  In  their  fanatic  zeal  the 
Magians  would  seize  upon  unbelievers  and  offer  them  up 
in  the  flames  to  propitiate  their  fiery  deity. 


THE  8ABEAN8  AND  MAGIANS.  3$ 

To  the  tenets  of  these  two  sects  reference  is  made 
in  that  beautiful  text  of  the  "  Wisdom  of  Solomon : " 
"  Surely  vain  are  all  men  by  nature  who  are  ignorant  of 
God,  and  could  not,  by  considering  the  work,  acknowledge 
the  work-master ;  but  deemed  either  fire,  or  wind,  or  the 
swift  air,  or  the  circle  of  the  stars,  or  the  violent  water, 
or  the  lights  of  heaven,  to  be  gods  which  govern  the 
world." 

Of  these  two  faiths  the  Sabean,  as  we  have  before  ob- 
served, was  much  the  most  prevalent  among  the  Arabs ; 
but  in  an  extremely  degraded  form,  mingled  with  all  kinds 
of  abuses  and  varying  among  the  various  tribes.  The 
Magian  faith  prevailed  among  those  tribes  which,  from 
their  frontier  position,  had  frequent  intercourse  with 
Persia;  while  other  tribes  partook  of  the  superstitions 
and  idolatries  of  the  nations  on  which  they  bordered. 

Judaism  had  made  its  way  into  Arabia  at  an  early 
period,  but  very  vaguely  and  imperfectly.  Still  many  of 
its  rites  and  ceremonies,  and  fanciful  traditions,  became 
implanted  in  the  country.  At  a  later  day,  however, 
when  Palestine  was  ravaged  by  the  Eomans,  and  the  city 
of  Jerusalem  taken  and  sacked,  many  of  the  Jews  took 
refuge  among  the  Arabs ;  became  incorporated  with  the 
native  tribes ;  formed  themselves  into  communities ; 
acquired  possession  of  fertile  tracts;  built  castles  and 
strongholds,  and  rose  to  considerable  power  and  in- 
fluence. 

The   Christian    religion  had    likewise    its    adherent*? 
vol.  l— 3 


34  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

among  the  Arabs.  St.  Paul  himself  declares  in  his  Epis- 
tle to  the  Galatians,  that  soon  after  he  had  been  called  to 
preach  Christianity  among  the  heathens,  he  "  went  into 
Arabia."  The  dissensions,  also,  which  rose  in  the  East- 
ern shurch,  in  the  early  part  of  the  third  century,  break- 
ing it  up  into  sects,  each  persecuting  the  others  as  it 
gained  the  ascendency,  drove  many  into  exile  into  re- 
mote parts  of  the  East ;  filled  the  deserts  of  Arabia  with 
anchorites,  and  planted  the  Christian  faith  among  some 
of  the  principal  tribes. 

The  foregoing  circumstances,  physical  and  moral,  may 
give  an  idea  of  the  causes  which  maintained  the  Arabs 
for  ages  in  an  unchanged  condition.  While  their  isolated 
position  and  their  vast  deserts  protected  them  from  con- 
quest, their  internal  feuds,  and  their  want  of  a  common 
tie,  political  or  religious,  kept  them  from  being  formida- 
ble as  conquerors.  They  were  a  vast  aggregation  of  dis- 
tinct parts  ;  full  of  individual  vigor,  but  wanting  coher- 
ent strength.  Although  their  nomadic  life  rendered 
them  hardy  and  active ;  although  the  greater  part  of 
them  were  warriors  from  their  infancy,  yet  their  arms 
were  only  wielded  against  each  other,  excepting  some  of 
the  frontier  tribes,  which  occasionally  engaged  as  merce- 
naries in  external  wars.  While,  therefore,  the  other 
nomadic  races  of  Central  Asia,  possessing  no  greater 
aptness  for  warfare,  had,  during  a  course  of  ages,  suc- 
cessively overrun  and  conquered  the  civilized  world, 
this  warrior  race,  unconscious  of  its  power,   remained 


RELIGIOUS  UNION  OF  THE  TRIBES.  35 

disjointed   and  harmless   in  the   depths    of  its    native 
deserts. 

The  time  at  length  arrived  when  its  discordant  tribes 
were  to  be  united  in  one  creed,  and  animated  by  one 
common  cause  ;  when  a  mighty  genius  was  to  arise,  who 
should  bring  together  these  scattered  limbs,  animate 
them  with  his  own  enthusiastic  and  daring  spirit,  and 
lead  them  forth,  a  giant  of  the  desert,  to  shake  and  over- 
turn the  empires  of  the  earth. 


CHAPTEE  IL 

BIRTH  AND  PARENTAGE   OF  MAHOMET.— HIS    INFANCY    AND  CHILDHOOD. 

AHOMET,  the  great  founder  of  the  faith  of  Is- 
lam, was  born  in  Mecca,  in  April,  in  the  year 
569  of  the  Christian  era.  He  was  of  the  val- 
iant  and  illustrious  tribe  of  Koreish,  of  which  there  were 
two  branches,  descended  from  two  brothers,  Haschem 
and  Abd  Schems.  Haschem,  the  progenitor  of  Mahomet, 
was  a  great  benefactor  of  Mecca.  This  city  is  situated  in 
the  midst  of  a  barren  and  stony  country,  and  in  former 
times  was  often  subject  to  scarcity  of  provisions.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  sixth  century  Haschem  established  two 
yearly  caravans,  one  in  the  winter  to  South  Arabia  or 
Yemen ;  the  other  in  the  summer  to  Syria.  By  these 
means  abundant  supplies  were  brought  to  Mecca,  as  well 
as  a  great  variety  of  merchandise.  The  city  became  a 
commercial  mart,  and  the  tribe  of  Koreish,  which  en- 
gaged largely  in  these  expeditions,  became  wealthy  and 
powerful.  Haschem,  at  this  time,  was  the  guardian  of 
the  Caaba,  the  great  shrine  of  Arabian  pilgrimage  and 
worship,  the  custody  of  which  was  confided  to  none  but 
the  most  honorable  tribes  and  families,  in  the  same  man- 


BIRTH  OF  MAHOMET.  37 

ner,  as  in  old  times,  the  temple  of  Jerusalem  was  in- 
trusted only  to  the  care  of  the  Levites.  In  fact  the  guar- 
dianship of  the  Caaba  was  connected  with  civil  dignities 
and  privileges,  and  gave  the  holder  of  it  the  control  of 
the  sacred  city. 

On  the  death  of  Haschem,  his  son,  Abd  al  Motalleb, 
succeeded  to  his  honors,  and  inherited  his  patriotism. 
He  delivered  the  holy  city  from  an  invading  army  of 
troops  and  elephants,  sent  by  the  Christian  princes  of 
Abyssinia,  who  at  that  time  held  Yemen  in  subjection. 
These  signal  services  rendered  by  father  and  son,  con- 
firmed the  guardianship  of  the  Caaba,  in  the  line  of  Ha- 
schem ;  to  the  great  discontent  and  envy  of  the  line  oj 
Abd  Schems. 

Abd  al  Motalleb  had  several  sons  and  daughters, 
Those  of  his  sons  who  figure  in  history  were,  Abu  Taleb, 
Abu  Lahab,  Abbas,  Hamza,  and  Abdallah.  The  last 
named  was  the  youngest  and  best  beloved.  He  married 
Amina,  a  maiden  of  a  distant  branch  of  the  same  illustri- 
ous stock  of  Koreish.  So  remarkable  was  Abdallah  for 
personal  beauty  and  those  qualities  which  win  the  affec- 
tions of  women,  that,  if  Moslem  traditions  are  to  be 
credited,  on  the  night  of  his  marriage  with  Amina,  two 
hundred  virgins  of  the  tribe  of  Koreish  died  of  broken 
hearts. 

Mahomet  was  the  first  and  only  fruit  of  the  marriage 
thus  sadly  celebrated.  His  birth,  according  to  similar 
traditions  with  the  one  just  cited,  was  accompanied  by 


38  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

signs  and  portents  announcing  a  child  of  wonder.  Sis 
mother  suffered  none  of  the  pangs  of  travail.  At  the 
moment  of  his  coming  into  the  world,  a  celestial  light 
illumined  the  surrounding  country,  and  the  new-born 
child,  raising  his  eyes  to  heaven,  exclaimed:  "God  is 
great !     There  is  no  God  but  God,  and  I  am  his  prophet." 

Heaven  and  earth,  we  are  assured,  were  agitated  at  his 
advent.  The  Lake  Sawa  shrank  back  to  its  secret  springs, 
leaving  its  borders  dry;  while  the  Tigris,  bursting  its 
bounds,  overflowed  the  neighboring  lands.  The  palace 
of  Khosru,  the  King  of  Persia,  shook  to  its  foundations, 
and  several  of  its  towers  were  toppled  to  the  earth.  In 
that  troubled  night  the  Kadhi,  or  Judge  of  Persia,  beheld, 
in  a  dream,  a  ferocious  camel  conquered  by  an  Arabian 
courser.  He  related  his  dream  in  the  morning  to  the 
Persian  monarch,  and  interpreted  it  to  portend  danger 
from  the  quarter  of  Arabia. 

In  the  same  eventful  night  the  sacred  fire  of  Zoroaster, 
which,  guarded  by  the  Magi,  had  burned  without  inter- 
ruption for  upwards  of  a  thousand  years,  was  suddenly 
extinguished,  and  all  the  idols  in  the  world  fell  down. 
The  demons,  or  evil  genii,  which  lurk  in  the  stars  and  the 
signs  of  the  zodiac,  and  exert  a  malignant  influence  over 
the  children  of  men,  were  cast  forth  by  the  pure  angels, 
and  hurled,  with  their  arch-leader,  Eblis,  or  Lucifer,  into 
the  depths  of  the  sea. 

The  relatives  of  the  new-born  child,  say  the  like  au« 
thorities,  were  filled  with  awe  and  wonder.     His  mother's 


BIRTH  OF  MAHOMET.  39 

brother,  an  astrologer,  cast  his  nativity,  and  predicted 
that  he  would  rise  to  vast  power,  found  an  empire,  and, 
establish  a  new  faith  among  men.  His  grandfather,  Abd 
al  Motalleb,  gave  a  feast  to  the  principal  Koreishites,  the' 
seventh  day  after  his  birth,  at  which  he  presented  this 
child,  as  the  dawning  glory  of  their  race,  and  gave  him 
the  name  of  Mahomet  (or  Muhamed),  indicative  of  his 
future  renown. 

Such  are  the  marvelous  accounts  given  by  Moslem 
writers  of  the  infancy  of  Mahomet,  and  we  have  little 
else  than  similar  fables  about  his  early  years.  He  was 
scarce  two  months  old  when  his  father  died,  leaving  him 
no  other  inheritance  than  five  camels,  a  few  sheep,  and  a 
female  slave  of  Ethiopia,  named  Barakat.  His  mother, 
Amina,  had  hitherto  nurtured  him,  but  care  and  sorrow 
dried  the  fountains  of  her  breast,  and  the  air  of  Mecca 
being  unhealthy  for  children,  she  sought  a  nurse  for  him 
among  the  females  of  the  neighboring  Bedouin  tribes. 
These  were  accustomed  to  come  to  Mecca  twice  a  year, 
in  spring  and  autumn,  to  foster  the  children  of  its  inhab- 
itants ;  but  they  looked  for  the  offspring  of  the  rich, 
where  they  were  sure  of  ample  recompense,  and  turned 
with  contempt  from  this  heir  of  poverty.  At  length 
Halema,  the  wife  of  a  Saadite  shepherd,  was  moved  to 
compassion,  and  took  the  helpless  infant  to  her  home. 
It  was  in  one  of  the  pastoral  valleys  of  the  mountains.* 

*  The  Beni  Sad  (or  children  of  Sad)  date  from  the  most  remote  antiq- 
uity, and,  with  the  Katan  Arabs,  are  the  only  remnants  of  the  primitive 


40  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

Many  were  the  wonders  related  by  Halema  of  her  in* 
fant  charge.  On  the  journey  from  Mecca,  the  mule  which 
bore  him  became  miraculously  endowed  with  speech,  and 
proclaimed  aloud  that  he  bore  on  his  back  the  greatest 
of  prophets,  the  chief  of  ambassadors,  the  favorite  of  the 
Almighty.  The  sheep  bowed  to  him  as  he  passed ;  as  he 
lay  in  his  cradle  and  gazed  at  the  moon,  it  stooped  to 
him  in  reverence. 

The  blessing  of  heaven,  say  the  Arabian  writers,  re- 
warded the  charity  of  Halema.  While  the  child  re- 
mained under  her  roof,  everything  around  her  pros- 
pered. The  wells  and  springs  were  never  dried  up ;  the 
pastures  were  always  green;  her  flocks  and  herds  in- 
creased tenfold;  a  marvelous  abundance  reigned  over 
her  fields,  and  peace  prevailed  in  her  dwelling. 

The  Arabian  legends  go  on  to  extol  the  almost  super- 
natural powers,  bodily  and  mental,  manifested  by  this 
wonderful  child  at  a  very  early  age.  He  could  stand 
alone  when  three  months  old ;  run  abroad  when  he  was 
seven,  and  at  ten  could  join  other  children  in  their  sports 
with  bows  and  arrows.  At  eight  months  he  could  speak 
so  as  to  be  understood;  and  in  the  course  of  another 
month  could  converse  with  fluency,  displaying  a  wisdom 
astonishing  to  all  who  heard  him. 

At  the  age  of  three  years,  while  playing  in  the  fields 
with  his  foster-brother,  Masroud,  two  angels  in  shining 

tribes  of  Arabia.     Their  valley  is  among  the  mountains  which  range 
southwardly  from  the  Tayef. — Burckhardt  on  the  Bedouins,  vol.  ii.  p.  47. 


PURIFICATION  OF  TO  UNO  MAHOMET.  41 

apparel  appeared  before  them.  They  laid  Mahomet 
gently  upon  the  ground,  and  Gabriel,  one  of  the  angels, 
opened  his  breast,  but  without  inflicting  any  pain.  Then 
taking  forth  his  heart,  he  cleansed  it  from  all  impurity, 
wringing  from  it  those  black  and  bitter  drops  of  original 
sin,  inherited  from  our  forefather  Adam,  and  which  lurk 
in  the  hearts  of  the  best  of  his  descendants,  inciting  them 
to  crime.  When  he  had  thoroughly  purified  it,  he  filled 
it  with  faith  and  knowledge  and  prophetic  light,  and 
replaced  it  in  the  bosom  of  the  child.  Now,  we  are  as- 
sured by  the  same  authorities,  began  to  emanate  from 
his  countenance  that  mysterious  light  which  had  contin- 
ued down  from  Adam,  through  the  sacred  line  of  proph- 
ets, till  the  time  of  Isaac  and  Ishmael ;  but  which  had 
laid  dormant  in  the  descendants  of  the  latter  until  it 
thus  shone  forth  with  renewed  radiance  from  the  features 
of  Mahomet. 

At  this  supernatural  visitation,  it  is  added,  was  im- 
pressed between  the  shoulders  of  the  child  the  seal  of 
prophecy,  which  continued  throughout  life  the  symbol  and 
credential  of  his  divine  mission ;  though  unbelievers  saw 
nothing  in  it  but  a  large  mole,  the  size  of  a  pigeon's  egg. 

When  the  marvelous  visitation  of  the  angel  was  related 
to  Halema  and  her  husband,  they  were  alarmed  lest 
some  misfortune  should  be  impending  over  the  child,  or 
that  his  supernatural  visitors  might  be  of  the  race  of  evil 
spirits  or  genii,  which  haunt  the  solitudes  of  the  desert, 
wreaking  mischief  on  the  children  of  men.     His  Saadite 


42  MAHOMET  AND  BIS  8UCCESS0BS. 

nurse,  therefore,  carried  him  back  to  Mecca,  and  deliv- 
ered  him  to  his  mother,  Amina. 

He  remained  with  his  parent  until  his  sixth  year,  when 
she  took  him  with  her  to  Medina,  on  a  visit  to  her  rela- 
tives of  the  tribe  of  Aclij ;  but  on  her  journey  homeward 
she  died,  and  was  buried  at  Abwa,  a  village  between  Me- 
dina and  Mecca.  Her  grave,  it  will  be  found,  was  a 
place  of  pious  resort  and  tender  recollection  to  her  son, 
at  the  latest  period  of  his  life. 

The  faithful  Abyssinian  slave  Barakat,  now  acted  as  a 
mother  to  the  orphan  child,  and  conducted  him  to  his 
grandfather  Abd  al  Motalleb,  in  whose  household  he  re- 
mained for  two  years,  treated  with  care  and  tenderness. 
Abd  al  Motalleb  was  now  well  stricken  in  years  ;  having 
outlived  the  ordinary  term  of  human  existence.  Finding 
his  end  approaching,  he  called  to  him  his  eldest  son  Abu 
Taleb,  and  bequeathed  Mahomet  to  his  especial  protec- 
tion. The  good  Abu  Taleb  took  his  nephew  to  his  bosom, 
and  ever  afterwards  was  to  him  as  a  parent.  As  the 
former  succeeded  to  the  guardianship  of  the  Caaba  at  the 
death  of  his  father,  Mahomet  continued  for  several  years  in 
a  kind  of  sacerdotal  household,  where  the  rites  and  cere- 
monies of  the  sacred  house  were  rigidly  observed.  And 
here  we  deem  it  necessary  to  give  a  more  especial  notice 
of  the  alleged  origin  of  the  Caaba  and  of  the  rites  and 
traditions  and  superstitions  connected  with  it,  closely  in- 
terwoven as  they  are  with  the  faith  of  Islam  and  the 
story  of  its  founder. 


CHAPTER  III. 

TRADITIONS  CONCERNING  MECCA  AND  THE  CAABA. 

HEN  Adam  and  Eve  were  cast  forth  froif*  Para- 
dise,  say  Arabian  traditions,  they  fell  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  earth ;  Adam  on  a  mountain  of 
the  island  of  Serendib,  or  Ceylon ;  Eve  in  Arabia  on  the 
borders  of  the  Red  Sea,  where  the  port  of  Joddah  is  now 
situated.  For  two  hundred  years  they  wandered  separate 
and  lonely  about  the  earth,  until,  in  consideration  of  their 
penitence  and  wretchedness,  they  were  permitted  to  come 
together  again  on  Mount  Arafat,  not  far  from  the  present 
city  of  Mecca.  In  the  depth  of  his  sorrow  and  repent- 
ance, Adam,  it  is  said,  raised  his  hands  and  eyes  to 
heaven,  and  implored  the  clemency  of  God ;  entreating 
that  a  shrine  might  be  vouchsafed  to  him  similar  to  that 
at  which  he  had  worshipped  when  in  Paradise,  and  round 
which  the  angels  used  to  move  in  adoring  processions. 

The  supplication  of  Adam  was  effectual.  A  tabernacle 
or  temple  formed  of  radiant  clouds  was  lowered  down  by 
the  hands  of  angels,  and  placed  immediately  below  its 
prototype  in  the  celestial  paradise.  Towards  this  heaven- 
descended    shrine,    Adam   thenceforth   turned   when  in 

43 


44  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

prayer,  and  round  it  he  daily  made  seven  circuits  in  imi- 
tation of  the  rites  of  the  adoring  angels. 

At  the  death  of  Adam,  say  the  same  traditions,  the 
tabernacle  of  clouds  passed  away,  or  was  again  drawn  up 
to  heaven;  but  another,  of  the  same  form  and  in  the 
same  place,  was  built  of  stone  and  clay  by  Seth,  the  son 
of  Adam.  This  was  swept  away  by  the  deluge.  Many 
generations  afterwards,  in  the  time  of  the  patriarchs, 
when  Hagar  and  her  child  Ishmael  were  near  perishing 
with  thirst  in  the  desert,  an  angel  revealed  to  them  a 
spring  or  well  of  water,  near  to  the  ancient  site  of  the 
tabernacle.  This  was  the  well  of  Zem  Zem,  held  sacred 
by  the  progeny  of  Ishmael  to  the  present  day.  Shortly 
afterwards  two  individuals  of  the  gigantic  race  of  the 
Amalekites,  in  quest  of  a  camel  which  had  strayed  from 
their  camp,  discovered  this  well,  and,  having  slaked  their 
thirst,  brought  their  companions  to  the  place.  Here 
they  founded  the  city  of  Mecca,  taking  Ishmael  and  his 
mother  under  their  protection.  They  were  soon  expelled 
by  the  proper  inhabitants  of  the  country,  among  whom 
Ishmael  remained.  "When  grown  to  man's  estate,  he  mar- 
ried the  daughter  of  the  ruling  prince,  by  whom  he  had 
a  numerous  progeny,  the  ancestors  of  the  Arabian  people. 
In  process  of  time,  by  God's  command  he  undertook  to 
rebuild  the  Caaba,  on  the  precise  site  of  the  original 
tabernacle  of  clouds.  In  this  pious  work  he  was  assisted 
by  his  father  Abraham.  A  miraculous  stone  served  Abra- 
ham as  a  scaffold,  rising  and  sinking  with  him  as  he  built 


ARABIAN  TRADITIONS.  45 

the  walls  of  the  sacred  edifice.  It  still  remains  there  an 
inestimable  relic,  and  the  print  of  the  patriarch's  foot  is 
clearly  to  be  perceived  on  it  by  all  true  believers. 

While  Abraham  and  Ishmael  were  thus  occupied,  the 
angel  Gabriel  brought  them  a  stone,  about  which  tradi- 
tional accounts  are  a  little  at  variance ;  by  some  it  is  said 
to  have  been  one  of  the  precious  stones  of  Paradise, 
which  fell  to  the  earth  with  Adam,  and  was  afterwards 
lost  in  the  slime  of  the  deluge,  until  retrieved  by  the 
angel  Gabriel.  The  more  received  tradition  is,  that  it 
was  originally  the  guardian  angel  appointed  to  watch 
over  Adam  in  Paradise,  but  changed  into  a  stone  and 
ejected  thence  with  him  at  his  fall,  as  a  punishment  for 
not  having  been  more  vigilant.  This  stone  Abraham  and 
Ishmael  received  with  proper  reverence,  and  inserted  it 
in  a  corner  of  the  exterior  wall  of  the  Caaba,  where  it 
remains  to  the  present  day,  devoutly  kissed  by  worship- 
pers each  time  they  make  a  circuit  of  the  temple.  When 
first  inserted  in  the  wall  it  was,  we  are  told,  a  single 
jacinth  of  dazzling  whiteness,  but  became  gradually 
blackened  by  the  kisses  of  sinful  mortals.  At  the  resur- 
rection it  will  recover  its  angelic  form,  and  stand  forth  a 
testimony  before  God  in  favor  of  those  who  have  faith- 
fully performed  the  rites  of  pilgrimage. 

Such  are  the  Arabian  traditions,  which  rendered  the 
Caaba  and  the  well  of  Zem  Zem  objects  of  extraordinary 
veneration  from  the  remotest  antiquity  among  the  people 
of  the  East  and  especially  the  descendants  of  IshmaeL 


46  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

Mecca,  which  incloses  these  sacred  objects  within  its 
walls,  was  a  holy  city  many  ages  before  the  rise  of  Ma- 
hometanism,  and  was  the  resort  of  pilgrims  from  all 
parts  of  Arabia.  So  universal  and  profound  was  the 
religious  feeling  respecting  this  observance,  that  four 
months  in  every  year  were  devoted  to  the  rites  of  pil- 
grimage, and  held  sacred  from  all  violence  and  warfare. 
Hostile  tribes  then  laid  aside  their  arms ;  took  the  heads 
from  their  spears ;  traversed  the  late  dangerous  deserts  in 
security;  thronged  the  gates  of  Mecca  clad  in  the  pil- 
grim's garb ;  made  their  seven  circuits  round  the  Caaba 
in  imitation  of  the  angelic  host ;  touched  and  kissed  the 
mysterious  black  stone ;  drank  and  made  ablutions  at  the 
well  Zem  Zem  in  memory  of  their  ancestor  Ishmael ;  and 
having  performed  all  the  other  primitive  rites  of  pil- 
grimage returned  home  in  safety,  again  to  resume  their 
weapons  and  their  wars. 

Among  the  religious  observances  of  the  Arabs  in  these 
their  "  days  of  ignorance ; "  that  is  to  say,  before  the  pro- 
mulgation of  the  Moslem  doctrines,  fasting  and  prayer 
had  a  foremost  place.  They  had  three  principal  fasts 
within  the  year ;  one  of  seven,  one  of  nine,  and  one  of 
thirty  days.  They  prayed  three  times  each  day ;  about 
sunrise,  at  noon,  and  about  sunset ;  turning  their  faces  in 
the  direction  of  the  Caaba,  which  was  their  kebla  or 
point  of  adoration.  They  had  many  religious  traditions, 
some  of  them  acquired  in  early  times  from  the  Jews,  and 
they  are  said  to  have  nurtured  their  devotional  feelings 


EARLY  RELIGIOUS  BIAS.  47 

with  the  book  of  Psalms,  and  with  a  book  said  to  be  by 
Seth,  and  filled  with  moral  discourses. 

Brought  up,  as  Mahomet  was,  in  the  house  of  the 
guardian  of  the  Caaba,  the  ceremonies  and  devotions 
connected  with  the  sacred  edifice  may  have  given  an 
early  bias  to  his  mind,  and  inclined  it  to  those  specu- 
lations in  matters  of  religion  by  which  it  eventually 
became  engrossed.  Though  his  Moslem  biographers 
would  fain  persuade  us  his  high  destiny  was  clearly 
foretold  in  his  childhood  by  signs  and  prodigies,  yet  his 
education  appears  to  have  been  as  much  neglected  as 
that  of  ordinary  Arab  children ;  for  we  find  that  he  was 
not  taught  either  to  read  or  write.  He  was  a  thoughtful 
child,  however ;  quick  to  observe,  prone  to  meditate  on 
all  that  he  observed,  and  possessed  of  an  imagination 
fertile,  daring,  and  expansive.  The  yearly  influx  of  pil- 
grims from  distant  parts  made  Mecca  a  receptacle  for  all 
kinds  of  floating  knowledge,  which  he  appears  to  have 
imbibed  with  eagerness  and  retained  in  a  tenacious  mem- 
ory ;  and  as  he  ■  increased  in  years,  a  more  extended 
sphere  of  observation  was  gradually  opened  to  him. 


CHAPTEK  IV. 

FIRST  JOURNEY  OF  MAHOMET  WITH  THE   CARAVAN  TO   SYRIA. 

AHOMET  was  now  twelve  years  of  age,  but,  as 
we  have  shown,  he  had  an  intelligence  far  be- 
yond his  years.  The  spirit  of  inquiry  was 
awake  within  him,  quickened  by  intercourse  with  pil- 
grims from  all  parts  of  Arabia.  His  uncle  Abu  Taleb, 
too,  beside  his  sacerdotal  character  as  guardian  of  the 
Caaba,  was  one  of  the  most  enterprising  merchants  of  the 
tribe  of  Koreish,  and  had  much  to  do  with  those  cara- 
vans set  on  foot  by  his  ancestor  Haschem,  which  traded 
to  Syria  and  Yemen.  The  arrival  and  departure  of  those 
caravans,  which  thronged  the  gates  of  Mecca  and  filled 
its  streets  with  pleasing  tumult,  were  exciting  events  to  a 
youth  like  Mahomet,  and  carried  his  imagination  to  for- 
eign parts.  He  could  no  longer  repress  the  ardent  curi- 
osity thus  aroused ;  but  once,  when  his  uncle  was  about 
to  mount  his  camel  to  depart  with  the  caravan  for  Syria, 
clung  to  him,  and  entreated  to  be  permitted  to  accom- 
pany him.  "For  who,  0  my  uncle,"  said  he,  "will  take 
care  of  me  when  thou  art  away  ?  " 

The  appeal  was  not  lost  upon  the  kind-hearted  Abu 

48 


SUPERSTITIONS  OF  THE  DESERT.  49 

Taleb.  He  bethought  him,  too,  that  the  youth  was  of  an 
age  to  enter  upon  the  active  scenes  of  Arab  life,  and  of  a 
capacity  to  render  essential  service  in  the  duties  of  the 
caravan;  he  readily,  therefore,  granted  his  prayer,  and 
took  him  with  him  on  the  journey  to  Syria. 

The  route  lay  through  regions  fertile  in  fables  and  tra- 
ditions, which  it  is  the  delight  of  the  Arabs  to  recount  in 
the  evening  halts  of  the  caravan.  The  vast  solitudes  of 
the  desert,  in  which  that  wandering  people  pass  so  much 
of  their  lives,  are  prone  to  engender  superstitious  fan- 
cies ;  they  have  accordingly  peopled  them  with  good  and 
evil  genii,  and  clothed  them  with  tales  of  enchantment, 
mingled  up  with  wonderful  events  which  happened  in 
days  of  old.  In  these  evening  halts  of  the  caravan,  the 
youthful  mind  of  Mahomet  doubtless  imbibed  many  of 
those  superstitions  of  the  desert  which  ever  afterwards 
dwelt  in  his  memory,  and  had  a  powerful  influence  over 
his  imagination.  "We  may  especially  note  two  traditions 
which  he  must  have  heard  at  this  time,  and  which  we 
find  recorded  by  him  in  after  years  in  the  Koran.  One 
related  to  the  mountainous  district  of  Hedjar.  Here,  as 
the  caravan  wound  its  way  through  silent  and  deserted 
valleys,  caves  were  pointed  out  in  the  sides  of  the  moun- 
tains once  inhabited  by  the  Beni  Thamud,  or  children  of 
Thamud,  one  of  the  "  lost  tribes  "  of  Arabia ;  and  this 
was  the  tradition  concerning  them. 

They  were  a  proud  and  gigantic  race,  existing  before 
the  time  of  the  patriarch  Abraham.  Having  fallen  into 
VOL.  i. — i 


50  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

blind  idolatry,  God  sent  a  prophet  of  the  name  of  Saleh, 
to  restore  them  to  the  right  way.  They  refused,  how- 
ever, to  listen  to  him,  unless  he  should  prove  the  divin- 
ity of  his  mission  by  causing  a  camel,  big  with  young,  to 
issue  from  the  entrails  of  a  mountain.  Saleh  accord- 
ingly prayed,  and  lo !  a  rock  opened,  and  a  female  camel 
came  forth,  which  soon  produced  a  foal.  Some  of  the 
Thamudites  were  convinced  by  the  miracle,  and  were 
converted  by  the  prophet  from  their  idolatry;  the 
greater  part,  however,  remained  in  unbelief.  Saleh  left 
the  camel  among  them  as  a  sign,  warning  them  that  a 
judgment  from  heaven  would  fall  on  them,  should  they 
do  her  any  harm.  For  a  time  the  camel  was  suffered  to 
feed  quietly  in  their  pastures,  going  forth  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  returning  in  the  evening.  It  is  true,  that  when 
she  bowed  her  head  to  drink  from  a  brook  or  well,  she 
never  raised  it  until  she  had  drained  the  last  drop  of 
water;  but  then  in  return  she  yielded  milk  enough  to 
supply  the  whole  tribe.  As,  however,  she  frightened  the 
other  camels  from  the  pasture,  she  became  an  object  of 
offense  to  the  Thamudites,  who  hamstrung  and  slew  her. 
Upon  this  there  was  a  fearful  cry  from  heaven,  and  great 
claps  of  thunder,  and  in  the  morning  all  the  offenders 
were  found  lying  on  their  faces  dead.  Thus  the  whole 
race  was  swept  from  the  earth,  and  their  country  was 
laid  for  ever  afterward  under  the  ban  of  heaven. 

This  story  made  a  powerful  impression  on  the  mind  of 
Mahomet,  insomuch  that,  in  after  years,  he  refused  to  let 


JUDGMENTS  ON  IDOLATRY.  51 

his  people   encamp   in   the  neighborhood,   but   hurried 
them  away  from  it  as  an  accursed  region. 

Another  tradition,  gathered  on  this  journey,  related  to 
the  city  of  Eyla,  situated  near  the  Eed  Sea.  This  place, 
he  was  told,  had  been  inhabited  in  old  times  by  a  tribe 
of  Jews,  who  lapsed  into  idolatry  and  profaned  the  Sab- 
bath, by  fishing  on  that  sacred  day ;  whereupon  the  old 
men  were  transformed  into  swine,  and  the  young  men 
into  monkeys. 

We  have  noted  these  two  traditions  especially,  because 
they  are  both  cited  by  Mahomet  as  instances  of  divine 
judgment  on  the  crime  of  idolatry,  and  evince  the  bias 
his  youthful  mind  was  already  taking  on  that  important 
subject. 

Moslem  writers  tell  us,  as  usual,  of  wonderful  circum- 
stances which  attended  the  youth  throughout  this  jour- 
ney, giving  evidence  of  the  continual  guardianship  of 
heaven.  At  one  time,  as  he  traversed  the  burning  sands 
of  the  desert,  an  angel  hovered  over  him  unseen,  shelter  - 
ing  him  with  his  wings ;  a  miracle,  however,  which  evi- 
dently does  not  rest  on  the  evidence  of  an  eye-witness ; 
at  another  time  he  was  protected  by  a  cloud  which  hung 
over  his  head  during  the  noontide  heat ;  and  on  another 
occasion,  as  he  sought  the  scanty  shade  of  a  withered 
tree,  it  suddenly  put  forth  leaves  and  blossoms. 

After  skirting  the  ancient  domains  of  the  Moabites  and 
the  Ammonites,  often  mentioned  in  the  sacred  Scriptures, 
the  caravan  arrived  at  Bosra,  or  Bostra,  on  the  confines 


52  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

of  Syria,  in  the  country  of  the  tribe  of  Manasseh,  beyond 
the  Jordan.  In  Scripture  days  it  had  been  a  city  of  the 
Levites,  but  now  was  inhabited  by  Nestorian  Christians. 
It  was  a  great  mart,  annually  visited  by  the  caravans ; 
and  here  our  wayfarers  came  to  a  halt,  and  encamped 
near  a  convent  of  Nestorian  monks. 

By  this  fraternity  Abu  Taleb  and  his  nephew  were  en- 
tertained with  great  hospitality.  One  of  the  monks,  by 
some  called  Sergius,  by  others  Bahira,  *  on  conversing 
with  Mahomet,  was  surprised  at  the  precocity  of  his  in- 
tellect, and  interested  by  his  eager  desire  for  information, 
which  appears  to  have  had  reference,  principally,  to  mat- 
ters of  religion.  They  had  frequent  conversations  to- 
gether on  such  subjects,  in  the  course  of  which  the  efforts 
of  the  monk  must  have  been  mainly  directed  against  that 
idolatry  in  which  the  youthful  Mahomet  had  hitherto 
been  educated ;  for  the  Nestorian  Christians  were  strenu- 
ous in  condemning  not  merely  the  worship  of  images,  but 
even  the  casual  exhibition  of  them ;  indeed,  so  far  did 
they  carry  their  scruples  on  this  point,  that  even  the 
cross,  that  general  emblem  of  Christianity,  was  in  a  great 
degree  included  in  this  prohibition. 

Many  have  ascribed  that  knowledge  of  the  principles 
and  traditions  of  the  Christian  faith  displayed  by  Ma- 
homet in  after  life,  to  those  early  conversations  with  this 
monk ;  it  is  probable,  however,  that  he  had  further  in- 

*  Some  assert  that  these  two  names  indicate  two  monks  who  held  con- 
versations with  Mahomet. 


RELIGIOUS  INFLUENCES.  53 

tercourse  with  the  latter  in  the  course  of  subsequent  vis- 
its which  he  made  to  Syria. 

Moslem  writers  pretend  that  the  interest  taken  by  the 
monk  in  the  youthful  stranger,  arose  from  his  having  ac- 
cidentally perceived  between  his  shoulders  the  seal  of 
prophecy.  He  warned  Abu  Taleb,  say  they,  when  about 
to  set  out  on  his  return  to  Mecca,  to  take  care  that  his 
nephew  did  not  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Jews  ;  foresee- 
ing with  the  eye  of  prophecy  the  trouble  and  opposition 
he  was  to  encounter  from  that  people. 

It  required  no  miraculous  sign,  however,  to  interest  a 
sectarian  monk,  anxious  to  make  proselytes,  in  an  intelli- 
gent and  inquiring  youth,  nephew  of  the  guardian  of  the 
Caaba,  who  might  carry  back  with  him  to  Mecca  the 
seeds  of  Christianity  sown  in  his  tender  mind;  and  it 
was  natural  that  the  monk  should  be  eager  to  prevent 
his  hoped-for  convert,  in  the  present  unsettled  state  of 
his  religious  opinions,  from  being  beguiled  into  the  Jew- 
ish faith. 

Mahomet  returned  to  Mecca,  his  imagination  teeming 
with  the  wild  tales  and  traditions  picked  up  in  the 
desert,  and  his  mind  deeply  impressed  with  the  doctrines 
imparted  to  him  in  the  Nestorian  convent.  He  seems 
ever  afterwards  to  have  entertained  a  mysterious  rever- 
ence for  Syria,  probably  from  the  religious  impressions 
received  there.  It  was  the  land  whither  Abraham  the 
patriarch  had  repaired  from  Chaldea,  taking  with  him 
the  primitive  worship  of  the  one  true  God.     "  Verily," 


54  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

he  used  to  say  in  after  years,  "  God  has  ever  maintained 
guardians  of  his  word  in  Syria ;  forty  in  number ;  when 
one  dies  another  is  sent  in  his  room  ;  and  through  them 
the  land  is  blessed."  And  again — "  Joy  be  to  the  people 
of  Syria,  for  the  angels  of  the  kind  God  spread  their 
wings  over  them."  * 

*  Mishcdt-ul-Masabih,  vol.  ii.  p.  812. 

Note.— The  conversion  of  Abraham  from  the  idolatry  into  which  the 
world  had  fallen  after  the  deluge,  is  related  in  the  sixth  chapter  of  the 
Koran.  Abraham's  father,  Azer,  or  Zerah,  as  his  name  is  given  in  the 
Scriptures,  was  a  statuary  and  an  idolater. 

"  And  Abraham  said  unto  his  father  Azer,  '  Why  dost  thou  take  graven 
images  for  gods  ?    Verily,  thou  and  thy  people  are  in  error.' 

"  Then  was  the  firmament  of  heaven  displayed  unto  Abraham,  that  he 
might  see  how  the  world  was  governed. 

"When  night  came,  and  darkness  overshadowed  the  earth,  he  beheld  a 
bright  star  shining  in  the  firmament,  and  cried  out  to  his  people  who 
were  astrologers  :  '  This,  according  to  your  assertions,  is  the  Lord.' 

"But  the  star  set,  and  Abraham  said,  'I  have  no  faith  in  gods  that 
set.' 

"He  beheld  the  moon  rising,  and  exclaimed,  'Assuredly,  this  is  the 
Lord.'  But  the  moon  likewise  set,  and  he  was  confounded,  and  prayed 
unto  God,  saying,  '  Direct  me,  lest  I  become  as  one  of  these  people,  who 
go  astray.' 

"  When  he  saw  the  sun  rising,  he  cried  out,  '  This  is  the  most  glorious 
of  all;  this  of  a  certainty  is  the  Lord.'  But  the  sun  also  set.  Then  said 
Abraham,  '  I  believe  not,  my  people,  in  those  things  which  ye  call  gods. 
Verily,  I  turn  my  face  unto  Him,  the  Creator,  who  hath  formed  both  the 
heavens  and  the  earth.' " 


CHAPTEE  V. 

COMMERCIAL  OCCUPATIONS  OF  MAHOMET.— HIS  MARRIAGE  WITH  CADIJAH. 

AHOMET  was  now  completely  launched  in 
active  life,  accompanying  his  uncles  in  various 
expeditions.  At  one  time,  when  about  sixteen 
years  of  age,  we  find  him  with  his  uncle  Zobier,  journey- 
ing with  the  caravan  to  Yemen ;  at  another  time  acting 
as  armor-bearer  to  the  same  uncle,  who  led  a  warlike 
expedition  of  Koreishites  in  aid  of  the  Kenanites  against 
the  tribe  of  Hawazan.  This  is  cited  as  Mahomet's  first 
essay  in  arms,  though  he  did  little  else  than  supply  his 
uncle  with  arrows  in  the  heat  of  the  action,  and  shield 
him  from  the  darts  of  the  enemy.  It  is  stigmatized 
among  Arabian  writers  as  al  Fadjar,  or  the  impious  war, 
having  been  carried  on  during  the  sacred  months  of  pil- 
grimage. 

As  Mahomet  advanced  in  years,  he  was  employed  by 
different  persons  as  commercial  agent  or  factor  in  cara- 
van journeys  to  Syria,  Yemen,  and  elsewhere  ;  all  which 
tended  to  enlarge  the  sphere  of  his  observation,  and  to 
give  him  a  quick  insight  into  character  and  a  knowledge 

of  human  affairs. 

55 


56  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

He  was  a  frequent  attender  of  fairs  also,  which,  in 
Arabia,  were  not  always  mere  resorts  of  traffic,  but  occa- 
sionally scenes  of  poetical  contests  between  different 
tribes,  where  prizes  were  adjudged  to  the  victors,  and 
their  prize  poems  treasured  up  in  the  archives  of  princes. 
Such,  especially,  was  the  case  with  the  fair  of  Ocadh ; 
and  seven  of  the  prize  poems  adjudged  there,  were  hung 
up  as  trophies  in  the  Caaba.  At  these  fairs,  also,  were 
recited  the  popular  traditions  of  the  Arabs,  and  incul- 
cated the  various  religious  faiths  which  were  afloat  in 
Arabia.  From  oral  sources  of  this  kind,  Mahomet  grad- 
ually accumulated  much  of  that  varied  information  as  to 
creeds  and  doctrines  which  he  afterwards  displayed. 

There  was  at  this  time  residing  in  Mecca  a  widow, 
named  Cadijah  (or  Khadijah),  of  the  tribe  of  Koreish. 
She  had  been  twice  married.  Her  last  husband,  a 
wealthy  merchant,  had  recently  died,  and  the  extensive 
concerns  of  the  house  were  in  need  of  a  conductor.  A 
nephew  of  the  widow,  named  Chuzima,  had  become  ac- 
quainted with  Mahomet  in  the  course  of  his  commercia] 
expeditions,  and  had  noticed  the  ability  and  integrity 
with  which  he  acquitted  himself  on  all  occasions.  He 
pointed  him  out  to  his  aunt  as  a  person  well  qualified  to 
be  her  factor.  The  personal  appearance  of  Mahomet 
may  have  strongly  seconded  this  recommendation ;  for 
he  was  now  about  twenty-five  years  of  age,  and  extolled 
by  Arabian  writers  for  his  manly  beauty  and  engaging 
manners.     So  desirous  was  Cadijah  of  securing  his  ser- 


THE  WIDOW  GADIJAK  57 

vices,  that  she  offered  him  double  wages  to  conduct  a 
caravan  which  she  was  on  the  point  of  sending  off  to 
Syria.  Mahomet  consulted  his  uncle  Abu  Taleb,  and  by 
his  advice  accepted  the  offer.  He  was  accompanied  and 
aided  in  the  expedition  by  the  nephew  of  the  widow,  and 
by  her  slave  Maisara,  and  so  highly  satisfied  was  Cadijah 
with  the  way  in  which  he  discharged  his  duties,  that,  on 
his  return,  she  paid  him  double  the  amount  of  his  stipu- 
lated wages.  She  afterwards  sent  him  to  the  southern 
parts  of  Arabia  on  similar  expeditions,  in  all  which  he 
gave  like  satisfaction. 

Cadijah  was  now  in  her  fortieth  year,  a  woman  of  judg- 
ment and  experience.  The  mental  qualities  of  Mahomet 
rose  more  and  more  in  her  estimation,  and  her  heart 
began  to  yearn  toward  the  fresh  and  comely  youth.  Ac- 
cording to  Arabian  legends,  a  miracle  occurred  most 
opportunely  to  confirm  and  sanctify  the  bias  of  her  in- 
clinations. She  was  one  day  with  her  handmaids,  at  the 
hour  of  noon,  on  the  terraced  roof  of  her  dwelling,  watch- 
ing the  arrival  of  a  caravan  conducted  by  Mahomet.  As 
it  approached,  she  beheld,  with  astonishment,  two  angels 
overshadowing  him  with  their  wings  to  protect  him  from 
the  sun.  Turning,  with  emotion,  to  her  handmaids, 
C( Behold!"  said  she,  "the  beloved  of  Allah,  who  sends 
two  angels  to  watch  over  him !  " 

Whether  or  not  the  handmaidens  looked  forth  with  the 
same  eyes  of  devotion  as  their  mistress,  and  likewise  dis- 
cerned the  angels,  the  legend  does  not  mention.     Suffice 


58  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

it  to  say,  the  widow  was  filled  with  a  lively  faith  in  the 
superhuman  merits  of  her  youthful  steward,  and  forth- 
with commissioned  her  trusty  slave,  Maisara,  to  offer 
him  her  hand.  The  negotiation  is  recorded  with  simple 
brevity.  "Mahomet,"  demanded  Maisara,  "why  dost 
thou  not  marry?"  "I  have  not  the  means,"  replied 
Mahomet.  "  Well,  but  if  a  wealthy  dame  should  offer 
thee  her  hand :  one  also  who  is  handsome  and  of  high 
birth?"  "And  who  is  she?"  "Cadijah!"  "How  is 
that  possible  ?  "  "  Let  me  manage  it."  Maisara  returned 
to  his  mistress  and  reported  what  had  passed.  An  hour 
was  appointed  for  an  interview,  and  the  affaii  was 
brought  to  a  satisfactory  arrangement  with  that  prompt- 
ness and  sagacity  which  had  distinguished  Mahomet  in 
all  his  dealings  with  the  widow.  The  father  of  Cadijah 
made  some  opposition  to  the  match,  on  account  of  the 
poverty  of  Mahomet,  following  the  common  notion  that 
wealth  should  be  added  to  wealth  :  but  the  widow  wisely 
considered  her  riches  only  as  the  means  of  enabling  her 
to  follow  the  dictates  of  her  heart.  She  gave  a  great 
feast,  to  which  were  invited  her  father  and  the  rest  of 
her  relatives,  and  Mahomet's  uncles  Abu  Taleb  and 
Hamza,  together  with  several  other  of  the  Koreishites, 
At  this  banquet  wine  was  served  in  abundance,  and  soon 
diffused  good  humor  round  the  board.  The  objections  to 
Mahomet's  poverty  were  forgotten ;  speeches  were  made 
by  Abu  Taleb  on  the  one  side,  and  by  Waraka,  a  kinsman 
of  Cadijah,  on  the  other,  in  praise  of  the  proposed  nup- 


MARRIAGE  FESTIVITIES.  59 

tials ;  the  dowry  was  arranged,  and  the  marriage  formally 
concluded. 

Mahomet  then  caused  a  camel  to  be  killed  before  his 
door,  and  the  flesh  distributed  among  the  poor.  The 
house  was  thrown  open  to  all  comers ;  the  female  slaves 
of  Cadijah  danced  to  the  sound  of  timbrels,  and  all  was 
revelry  and  rejoicing.  Abu  Taleb,  forgetting  his  age  and 
his  habitual  melancholy,  made  merry  on  the  occasion. 
He  had  paid  down  from  his  purse  a  dower  of  twelve  and 
a  half  okks  of  gold,  equivalent  to  twenty  young  camels. 
Halema,  who  had  nursed  Mahomet  in  his  infancy,  was 
summoned  to  rejoice  at  his  nuptials,  and  was  presented 
with  a  flock  of  forty  sheep,  with  which  she  returned,  en- 
riched and  contented,  to  her  native  valley,  in  the  desert 
of  the  Saadites. 


CHAPTEE  VI. 

CONDUCT  OF  MAHOMET  AFTER  HIS  MARRIAGE. — BECOMES  ANXIOUS  FOR  RELIG- 
IOUS REFORM.— HIS  HABITS  OF  SOLITARY  ABSTRACTION.— THE  VISION  OH 
THE  CAVE. — HIS  ANNUNCIATION   AS  A   PROPHET. 

HE  marriage  with  Cadijah  placed  Mahomet 
among  the  most  wealthy  of  his  native  city. 
His  moral  worth  also  gave  him  great  influence 
in  the  community.  Allah,  says  the  historian  Abulfeda, 
had  endowed  him  with  every  gift  necessary  to  accomplish 
and  adorn  an  honest  man ;  he  was  so  pure  and  sincere, 
so  free  from  every  evil  thought,  that  he  was  commonly 
known  by  the  name  of  Al  Amin  or  The  Faithful. 

The  great  confidence  reposed  in  his  judgment  and 
probity,  caused  him  to  be  frequently  referred  to  as  arbi- 
ter in  disputes  between  his  townsmen.  An  anecdote  is 
given  as  illustrative  of  his  sagacity  on  such  occasions. 
The  Caaba  having  been  injured  by  fire,  was  undergoing 
repairs,  in  the  course  of  which  the  sacred  black  stone 
was  to  be  replaced.  A  dispute  arose  among  the  chiefs 
of  the  various  tribes,  as  to  which  was  entitled  to  perform 
so  august  an  office,  and  they  agreed  to  abide  by  the  deci- 
sion of  the  first  person  who  should  enter  by  the  gate  Al 

60 


CONDUCT  AFTER  MARRIAGE.  61 

Haram.  That  person  happened  to  be  Mahomet.  Upon 
hearing  their  different  claims,  he  directed  that  a  great 
cloth  should  be  spread  upon  the  ground,  and  the  stone 
laid  thereon ;  and  that  a  man  from  each  tribe  should 
take  hold  of  the  border  of  the  cloth.  In  this  way  the 
sacred  stone  was  raised  equally  and  at  the  same  time  by 
them  all  to  a  level  with  its  allotted  place,  in  which  Ma- 
homet fixed  it  with  his  own  hands. 

Four  daughters  and  one  son,  were  the  fruit  of  the  mar- 
riage with  Cadijah.  The  son  was  named  Kasim,  whence 
Mahomet  was  occasionally  called  Abu  Kasim,  or  the 
father  of  Kasim,  according  to  Arabian  nomenclature. 
This  son,  however,  died  in  his  infancy. 

For  several  years  after  his  marriage  he  continued  in 
commerce,  visiting  the  great  Arabian  fairs,  and  making 
distant  journeys  with  the  caravans.  His  expeditions 
were  not  as  profitable  as  in  the  days  of  his  stewardship, 
and  the  wealth  acquired  with  his  wife  diminished,  rather 
than  increased  in  the  course  of  his  operations.  That 
wealth,  in  fact,  had  raised  him  above  the  necessity  of 
toiling  for  subsistence,  and  given  him  leisure  to  indulge 
the  original  bias  of  his  mind— a  turn  for  reverie  and 
religious  speculation,  which  he  had  evinced  from  his 
earliest  years.  This  had  been  fostered  in  the  course  of 
his  journeyings  by  his  intercourse  with  Jews  and  Chris- 
tians, originally  fugitives  from  persecution,  but  now 
gathered  into  tribes,  or  forming  part  of  the  population  of 
cities.     The  Arabian  deserts  too,  rife  as  we  have  shown 


62  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

them  with  fanciful  superstitions,  had  furnished  aliment 
for  his  enthusiastic  reveries.  Since  his  marriage  with 
Cadijah,  also,  he  had  a  household  oracle  to  influence  him 
in  his  religious  opinions.  This  was  his  wife's  cousin 
Waraka,  a  man  of  speculative  mind  and  flexible  faith ; 
originally  a  Jew  ;  subsequently  a  Christian  ;  and  withal 
a  pretender  to  astrology.  He  is  worthy  of  note  as  being 
the  first  on  record  to  translate  parts  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testament  into  Arabic.  From  him  Mahomet  is  supposed 
to  have  derived  much  of  his  information  respecting  those 
writings,  and  many  of  the  traditions  of  the  Mishnu  and 
the  Talmud,  on  which  he  draws  so  copiously  in  his 
Koran. 

The  knowledge  thus  variously  acquired  and  treasured 
up  in  an  uncommonly  retentive  memory,  was  in  direct 
hostility  to  the  gross  idolatry  prevalent  in  Arabia,  and 
practiced  at  the  Caaba.  That  sacred  edifice  had  grad- 
ually become  filled  and  surrounded  by  idols,  to  the  num- 
ber of  three  hundred  and  sixty,  being  one  for  every  day 
of  the  Arab  year.  Hither  had  been  brought  idols  from 
various  parts,  the  deities  of  other  nations,  the  chief  of 
which,  Hobal,  was  from  Syria,  and  supposed  to  have  the 
power  of  giving  rain.  Among  these  idols,  too,  were 
Abraham  and  Ishmael,  once  revered  as  prophets  and 
progenitors,  now  represented  with  divining  arrows  in 
their  hands,  symbols  of  magic. 

Mahomet  became  more  and  more  sensible  of  the  gross- 
ness  and  absurdity  of  this  idolatry,  in  proportion  as  his 


FIXED  RELIGIOUS  IDEA.  63 

intelligent  mind  contrasted  it  with  the  spiritual  religions, 
which  had  been  the  subject  of  his  inquiries.  Various 
passages  in  the  Koran  show  the  ruling  idea  which  grad- 
ually sprang  up  in  his  mind,  until  it  engrossed  his 
thoughts  and  influenced  all  his  actions.  That  idea  was 
a  religious  reform.  It  had  become  his  fixed  belief,  de- 
duced from  all  that  he  had  learnt  and  meditated,  that 
the  only  true  religion  had  been  revealed  to  Adam  at  his 
creation,  and  been  promulgated  and  practiced  in  the  days 
of  innocence.  That  religion  inculcated  the  direct  and 
spiritual  worship  of  one  true  and  only  God,  the  Creator 
of  the  universe. 

It  was  his  belief,  furthermore,  that  this  religion,  so 
elevated  and  simple,  had  repeatedly  been  corrupted  and 
debased  by  man,  and  especially  outraged  by  idolatry; 
wherefore  a  succession  of  prophets,  each  inspired  by  a 
revelation  from  the  Most  High,  had  been  sent  from  time 
to  time,  and  at  distant  periods,  to  restore  it  to  its  original 
purity.  Such  was  Noah,  such  was  Abraham,  such  was 
Moses,  and  such  was  Jesus  Christ.  By  each  of  these, 
the  true  religion  had  been  reinstated  upon  earth,  but  had 
again  been  vitiated  by  their  followers.  The  faith,  as 
taught  and  practiced  by  Abraham  when  he  came  out  of 
the  land  of  Chaldea,  seems  especially  to  have  formed  a 
religious  standard  in  his  mind,  from  his  veneration  for 
the  patriarch  as  the  father  of  Ishmael,  the  progenitor  of 
his  race. 

It  appeared  to  Mahomet  that  the  time  for  another  re- 


64  MAHOMET  AJVD  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

form  was  again  arrived.    The  world  had  once  more  lapsed 
into  blind  idolatry.      It  needed  the  advent  of  another 
prophet,  authorized  by  a  mandate  from  on  high,  to  re- 
store the  erring  children  of  men  to  the  right  path,  and  to 
bring  back  the  worship  of  the  Caaba  to  what  it  had  been 
in  the  days  of  Abraham  and  the  patriarchs.     The  proba- 
bility of  such  an  advent  with  its  attendant  reforms,  seems 
to  have  taken  possession  of  his  mind,  and  produced  hab- 
its of  reverie  and  meditation,  incompatible  with  the  ordi- 
nary concerns  of  life  and  the  bustle  of  the  world.    We  are 
told  that  he  gradually  absented  himself  from  society,  and 
sought  the  solitude  of  a  cavern  on  Mount  Hara,  about 
three  leagues  north  of  Mecca,  where,  in  emulation  of  the 
Christian  anchorites  of  the  desert,  he  would  remain  days 
and  nights  together,  engaged  in  prayer  and  meditation. 
In  this  way  he  always  passed  the  month  of  Eamadhan, 
the  holy  month  of  the  Arabs.     Such  intense  occupation 
of  the  mind  on  one  subject,  accompanied  by  fervent  en- 
thusiasm of  spirit,  could  not  but  have  a  powerful  effect 
upon  his  frame.     He  became  subject  to  dreams,  to  ecsta- 
sies, and  trances.    For  six  months  successively,  according 
to  one  of  his  historians,  he  had  constant  dreams  bearing 
on  the  subject  of  his  waking  thoughts.     Often  he  would 
lose  all  consciousness  of    surrounding  objects,  and  lie 
upon  the  ground  as   if  insensible.      Cadijah,  who  was 
sometimes  the  faithful  companion  of  his  solitude,  beheld 
these  paroxysms  with  anxious  solicitude,  and  entreated 
to  know  the  cause ;  but  he  evaded  her  inquiries,  or  an- 


VISION  IN  THE  CA  VERN.  65 

swered  them  mysteriously.  Some  of  his  adversaries  have 
attributed  them  to  epilepsy,  but  devout  Moslems  declare 
them  to  have  been  the  workings  of  prophecy ;  for  already, 
say  they,  the  intimations  of  the  Most  High  began  to 
dawn,  though  vaguely,  on  his  spirit ;  and  his  mind  labored 
with  conceptions  too  great  for  mortal  thought.  At 
length,  say  they,  what  had  hitherto  been  shadowed  out 
in  dreams,  was  made  apparent  and  distinct  by  an  angelic 
apparition  and  a  divine  annunciation. 

It  was  in  the  fortieth  year  of  his  age,  when  this  famous 
revelation  took  place.  Accounts  are  given  of  it  by  Mos- 
lem writers  as  if  received  from  his  own  lips,  and  it  is 
alluded  to  in  certain  passages  of  the  Koran.  He  was 
passing,  as  was  his  wont,  the  month  of  Ramadhan  in  the 
cavern  of  Mount  Hara,  endeavoring  by  fasting,  prayer, 
and  solitary  meditation  to  elevate  his  thoughts  to  the 
contemplation  of  divine  truth.  It  was  on  the  night 
called  by  Arabs  Al  Kader,  or  the  Divine  Decree  ;  a  night 
in  which,  according  to  the  Koran,  angels  descend  to 
earth,  and  Gabriel  brings  down  the  decrees  of  God. 
During  that  night  there  is  peace  on  earth,  and  a  holy 
quiet  reigns  over  all  nature  until  the  rising  of  the  morn. 

As  Mahomet,  in  the  silent  watches  of  the  night,  lay 

wrapped  in  his  mantle,  he  heard  a  voice   calling  upon 

him ;  uncovering  his  head,  a  flood  of  light  broke  upon 

him  of  such  intolerable  splendor  that  he  swooned  away. 

On  regaining  his  senses,  he  beheld  an  angel  in  a  human 

form,  which,  approaching  from  a  distance,  displayed  a 
vol.  i. — 5 


66  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

silken  cloth  covered  with  written  characters.     "Head!* 
said  the  angel. 

"  I  know  not  how  to  read !  "  replied  Mahomet. 

"  Bead ! "  repeated  the  angel,  "  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord,  who  has  created  all  things ;  who  created  man  from 
a  clot  of  blood.  Eead,  in  the  name  of  the  Most  High,  who 
taught  man  the  use  of  the  pen ;  who  sheds  on  his  soul 
the  ray  of  knowledge,  and  teaches  him  what  before  he 
knew  not." 

Upon  this  Mahomet  instantly  felt  his  understanding 
illumined  with  celestial  light,  and  read  what  was  written 
on  the  cloth,  which  contained  the  decrees  of  God,  as 
afterwards  promulgated  in  the  Koran.  When  he  had 
finished  the  perusal,  the  heavenly  messenger  announced, 
"  O  Mahomet,  of  a  verity,  thou  art  the  prophet  of  God ! 
and  I  am  his  angel  Gabriel." 

Mahomet,  we  are  told,  came  trembling  and  agitated 
to  Cadijah  in  the  morning,  not  knowing  whether  what  he 
had  heard  and  seen  was  indeed  true,  and  that  he  was  a 
prophet  decreed  to  effect  that  reform  so  long  the  object 
of  his  meditations ;  or  whether  it  might  not  be  a  mere 
vision,  a  delusion  of  the  senses,  or  worse  than  all,  the 
apparition  of  an  evil  spirit. 

Cadijah,  however,  saw  everything  with  the  eye  of  faith, 
and  the  credulity  of  an  affectionate  woman.  She  saw  in 
it  the  fruition  of  her  husband's  wishes,  and  the  end  of  his 
paroxysms  and  privations.  "  Joyful  tidings  dost  thou 
bring ! "  exclaimed  she.     "  By  him,  in  whose  hand  is  the 


CONCURRENCE  OF  WARAKA.  67 

sottl  of  Cadijah,  I  will  henceforth  regard  thee  as  the 
prophet  of  our  nation.  Bejoice,"  added  she,  seeing  him 
still  cast  down;  "Allah  will  not  suffer  thee  to  fall  to 
shame.  Hast  thou  not  been  loving  to  thy  kinsfolk,  kind 
to  thy  neighbors,  charitable  to  the  poor,  hospitable  to 
the  stranger,  faithful  to  thy  word,  and  ever  a  defender  of 
the  truth?" 

Cadijah  hastened  to  communicate  what  she  had  heard 
to  her  cousin  Waraka,  the  translator  of  the  Scriptures ; 
who,  as  we  have  shown,  had  been  a  household  oracle  of 
Mahomet  in  matters  of  religion.  He  caught  at  once, 
and  with  eagerness,  at  this  miraculous  annunciation. 
"By  him  in  whose  hand  is  the  soul  of  Waraka,"  ex- 
claimed he ;  "  thou  speakest  true,  O  Cadijah !  The  angel 
who  has  appeared  to  thy  Imsband  is  the  same  who,  in 
days  of  old,  was  sent  to  Moses  the  son  of  Amram.  His 
annunciation  is  true.   Thy  husband  is  indeed  a  prophet!  " 

The  zealous  concurrence  of  the  learned  Waraka,  is  said 
to  have  had  a  powerful  effect  in  fortifying  the  dubious 
mind  of  Mahomet. 

Note. — Dr.  Gustav  Weil,  in  a  note  to  Mohammed  der  Prophet,  discusses 
fche  question  of  Mahomet's  being  subject  to  attacks  of  epilepsy  ;  which 
has  generally  been  represented  as  a  slander  of  his  enemies  and  of  Chris- 
tian writers.  It  appears,  however,  to  have  been  asserted  by  some  of  the 
oldest  Moslem  biographers,  and  given  on  the  authority  of  persons  about 
him.  He  would  be  seized,  they  said,  with  violent  trembling,  followed  by 
a  kind  of  swoon,  or  rather  convulsion,  during  which  perspiration  would 
stream  from  his  forehead  in  the  coldest  weather  ;  he  would  lie  with  his 
eyes  closed,  foaming  at  the  mouth  and  bellowing  like  a  young  camel, 
Ayesha,  one  of  his  wives,  and  Zeid,  one  of  his  disciples,  are  among  the  per- 


08  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

sons  cited  as  testifying  to  that  effect.  They  considered  him  at  such  times 
as  under  the  influence  of  a  revelation.  He  had  such  attacks,  however,  in. 
Mecca,  before  the  Koran  was  revealed  to  him.  Cadijah  feared  that  he 
was  possessed  by  evil  spirits,  and  would  have  called  in  the  aid  of  a  con- 
jurer to  exorcise  them,  but  he  forbade  her.  He  did  not  like  that  any  one 
should  see  him  during  these  paroxysms.  His  visions,  however,  were  not 
always  preceded  by  such  attacks.  Hareth  Ibn  Haschem,  it  is  said,  once 
asked  him  in  what  manner  the  revelations  were  made.  "Often,"  replied 
he,  "  the  angel  appears  to  me  in  a  human  form,  and  speaks  to  me.  Some- 
times I  hear  sounds  like  the  tinkling  of  a  bell,  but  see  nothing.  [A  ring- 
ing in  the  ears  is  a  symptom  of  epilepsy.]  When  the  invisible  angel  has 
departed,  I  am  possessed  of  what  he  has  revealed."  Some  of  his  revela- 
tions he  professed  to  receive  direct  from  God,  others  in  dreams  ;  for  the 
dreams  of  prophets,  he  used  to  say,  are  revelations. 

The  reader  will  find  this  note  of  service  in  throwing  some  degree  of 
light  upon  the  enigmatical  career  of  this  extraordinary  man. 


CHAPTEK  Vn. 

»AHOMET  INCULCATES  HIS  DOCTRINES  SECRETLY  AND  SLOWLY. — RECEIVES 
FURTHER  REVELATIONS  AND  COMMANDS. — ANNOUNCEMENT  TO  HIS  KIN- 
DRED.— MANNER  IN  WHICH  IT  WAS  RECEIVED. — ENTHUSIASTIC  DEVOTION 
OP  ALL — CHRISTIAN  PORTENTS. 

HOR  a  time  Mahomet  confided  his  revelations 
merely  to  his  own  household.  One  of  the  first 
to  avow  himself  a  believer,  was  his  servant 
Zeid,  an  Arab  of  the  tribe  of  Kalb.  This  youth  had  been 
captured  in  childhood  by  a  freebooting  party  of  Koreish- 
ites,  and  had  come  by  purchase  or  lot  into  the  posses- 
sion of  Mahomet.  Several  years  afterwards  his  father, 
hearing  of  his  being  in  Mecca,  repaired  thither  and  of- 
fered a  considerable  sum  for  his  ransom.  "  If  he  chooses 
to  go  with  thee,"  said  Mahomet,  "he  shall  go  without 
ransom  :  but  if  he  chooses  to  remain  with  me,  why  should 
I  not  keep  him?"  Zeid  preferred  to  remain,  having 
ever,  he  said,  been  treated  more  as  a  son  than  as  a  slave. 
Upon  this,  Mahomet  publicly  adopted  him,  and  he  had 
ever  since  remained  with  him  in  affectionate  servitude. 
Now,  on  embracing  the  new  faith,  he  was  set  entirely 
free,  but  it  will  be  found  that  he  continued  through  life 


70  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

that  devoted  attachment  which  Mahomet  seems  to  have 
had  the  gift  of  inspiring  in  his  followers  and  dependents. 

The  early  steps  of  Mahomet  in  his  prophetic  career, 
were  perilous  and  doubtful,  and  taken  in  secrecy.  He 
had  hostility  to  apprehend  on  every  side ;  from  his  im- 
mediate kindred,  the  Koreishites  of  the  line  of  Haschem, 
whose  power  and  prosperity  were  identified  with  idola- 
try ;  and  still  more  from  the  rival  line  of  Abd  Schems* 
who  had  long  looked  with  envy  and  jealousy  on  the  Ha- 
schemites,  and  would  eagerly  raise  the  cry  of  heresy  and 
impiety  to  dispossess  them  of  the  guardianship  of  the 
Caaba.  At  the  head  of  this  rival  branch  of  Koreish  was 
Abu  Sofian,  the  son  of  Harb,  grandson  of  Omeya,  and 
great-grandson  of  Abd  Schems.  He  was  an  able  and  am* 
bitious  man,  of  great  wealth  and  influence,  and  will  be 
found  one  of  the  most  persevering  and  powerful  oppo- 
nents of  Mahomet.* 

Under  these  adverse  circumstances  the  new  faith  was 
propagated  secretly  and  slowly,  insomuch  that  for  the 
first  three  years  the  number  of  converts  did  not  exceed 
forty ;  these,  too,  for  the  most  part,  were  young  persons, 
strangers,  and  slaves.  Their  meetings  for  prayer  were 
held  in  private,  either  at  the  house  of  one  of  the  initiated, 

*  Niebuhr  {Travels,  vol.  ii.)  speaks  of  the  tribe  of  Harb,  which  pos- 
sessed several  cities  and  a  number  of  villages  in  the  highlands  of  Hedjas, 
a  mountainous  range  between  Mecca  and  Medina.  They  have  castles  on 
precipitous  rocks,  and  harass  and  lay  under  contribution  the  cara- 
vans. It  is  presumed  that  this  tribe  takes  its  name  from  the  father  of 
Abu  Sofian ;  as  did  the  great  line  of  the  Omeyades  from  his  grandfather. 


OPPOSITION  OF  ABU  LAHAB.  71 

or  in  a  cave  near  Mecca.  Their  secrecy,  however,  did 
not  protect  them  from  outrage.  Their  meetings  were  dis- 
covered ;  a  rabble  broke  into  their  cavern  and  a  scuffle 
ensued.  One  of  the  assailants  was  wounded  in  the  head 
by  Saad,  an  armorer,  thenceforth  renowned  among  the 
faithful,  as  the  first  of  their  number  who  shed  blood  in 
the  cause  of  Islam. 

One  of  the  bitterest  opponents  of  Mahomet  was  his 
uncle  Abu  Lahab,  a  wealthy  man,  of  proud  spirit  and  ir- 
ritable temper.  His  son  Otha  had  married  Mahomet's 
third  daughter,  Kokaia,  so  that  they  were  doubly  allied. 
Abu  Lahab,  however,  was  also  allied  to  the  rival  line  of 
Koreish,  having  married  Omm  Jemil,  sister  of  Abu 
Sofian,  and  he  was  greatly  under  the  control  of  his  wife 
and  his  brother-in-law.  He  reprobated  what  he  termed 
the  heresies  of  his  nephew,  as  calculated  to  bring  dis- 
grace upon  their  immediate  line,  and  to  draw  upon  it  the 
hostilities  of  the  rest  of  the  tribe  of  Koreish.  Mahomet 
was  keenly  sensible  of  the  rancorous  opposition  of  this 
uncle,  which  he  attributed  to  the  instigations  of  his  wife, 
Omm  Jemil.  He  especially  deplored  it,  as  he  saw  that 
it  affected  the  happiness  of  his  daughter  Kokaia,  whose 
inclination  to  his  doctrines  brought  on  her  the  re- 
proaches of  her  husband  and  his  family. 

These  and  other  causes  of  solicitude  preyed  upon  his 
spirits,  and  increased  the  perturbation  of  his  mind.  He 
became  worn  and  haggard,  and  subject  more  and  more  to 
fits  of  abstraction.     Those  of  his  relatives  who  were  at/ 


72  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

tached  to  him,  noticed  his  altered  mien,  and  dreaded  an 
attack  of  illness  ;  others  scoffingly  accused  him  of  mental 
hallucination ;  and  the  foremost  among  these  scoffers  was 
his  uncle's  wife,  Omm  Jemil,  the  sister  of  Abu  Sofian. 

The  result  of  this  disordered  state  of  mind  and  body 
was  another  vision,  or  revelation,  commanding  him  to 
"  arise,  preach,  and  magnify  the  Lord."  He  was  now  to 
announce,  publicly  and  boldly,  his  doctrines,  beginning 
with  his  kindred  and  tribe.  Accordingly,  in  the  fourth 
year  of  what  is  called  his  mission,  he  summoned  all  the 
Koreishites  of  the  line  of  Haschem  to  meet  him  on  the 
hill  of  Safa,  in  the  vicinity  of  Mecca,  when  he  would  un- 
fold matters  important  to  their  welfare.  They  assembled 
there,  accordingly,  and  among  them  came  Mahomet's 
hostile  uncle  Abu  Lahab,  and  with  him  his  scoffing  wife, 
Omm  Jemil.  Scarce  had  the  prophet  begun  to  discourse 
of  his  mission,  and  to  impart  his  revelations,  when  Abu 
Lahab  started  up  in  a  rage,  reviled  him  for  calling  them 
together  on  so  idle  an  errand,  and  catching  up  a  stone, 
would  have  hurled  it  at  him.  Mahomet  turned  upon  him 
a  withering  look ;  cursed  the  hand  thus  raised  in  menace, 
and  predicted  his  doom  to  the  fire  of  Jehennam ;  with 
the  assurance  that  his  wife,  Omm  Jemil,  would  bear  the 
bundle  of  thorns  with  which  the  fire  would  be  kindled. 

The  assembly  broke  up  in  confusion.  Abu  Lahab  and 
his  wife,  exasperated  at  the  curse  dealt  out  to  them,  com- 
pelled their  son,  Otha,  to  repudiate  his  wife,  Rokaia,  and 
sent  her  back  weeping  to  Mahomet.     She  was  soon  in- 


ASSEMBLAGE  OF  THE  HASCHEMITES.  73 

demnified,  however,  by  having  a  husband  of  the  true 
faith,  being  eagerly  taken  to  wife  by  Mahomet's  zealous 
disciple,  Othman  Ibn  Affan. 

Nothing  discouraged  by  the  failure  of  his  first  attempt, 
Mahomet  called  a  second  meeting  of  the  Haschemites  at 
his  own  house,  where,  having  regaled  them  with  the 
flesh  of  a  lamb,  and  given  them  milk  to  drink,  he  stood 
forth  and  announced,  at  full  length,  his  revelations  re- 
ceived from  heaven,  and  the  divine  command  to  impart 
them  to  those  of  his  immediate  line. 

"  O  children  of  Abd  al  Motalleb,"  cried  he,  with  enthu- 
siasm, "to  you,  of  all  men,  has  Allah  vouchsafed  these 
most  precious  gifts.  In  his  name  I  offer  you  the  bless- 
ings of  this  world,  and  endless  joys  hereafter.  Who 
among  you  will  share  the  burden  of  my  offer?  Who 
will  be  my  brother,  my  lieutenant,  my  vizier  ?  " 

All  remained  silent ;  some  wondering ;  others  smiling 
with  incredulity  and  derision.  At  length  Ali,  starting  up 
with  youthful  zeal,  offered  himself  to  the  service  of  the 
prophet,  though  modestly  acknowledging  his  youth  and 
physical  weakness.*  Mahomet  threw  his  arms  around 
the  generous  youth,  and  pressed  him  to  his  bosom. 
"Behold  my  brother,  my  vizier,  my  vicegerent,"  ex- 
claimed he  ;  "  let  all  listen  to  his  words,  and  obey  him." 

The  outbreak  of  such  a  stripling  as  Ali,  however,  was 

*  By  an  error  of  translators,  Ali  is  made  to  accompany  his  offer  of 
adhesion  by  an  extravagant  threat  against  all  who  should  oppose  Ma- 
homet. 


74  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

answered  by  a  scornful  burst  of  laughter  of  the  Ko* 
reishites  ;  who  taunted  Abu  Taleb,  father  of  the  youthful 
proselyte,  with  having  to  bow  down  before  his  son,  and 
yield  him  obedience. 

But  though  the  doctrines  of  Mahomet  were  thus  un- 
graciously received  by  his  kindred  and  friends,  they 
found  favor  among  the  people  at  large,  especially  among 
the  women,  who  are  ever  prone  to  befriend  a  persecuted 
cause.  Many  of  the  Jews,  also,  followed  him  for  a  time, 
but  when  they  found  that  he  permitted  his  disciples  to 
eat  the  flesh  of  the  camel,  and  of  other  animals  forbidden 
by  their  law,  they  drew  back  and  rejected  his  religion  as 
unclean. 

Mahomet  now  threw  off  all  reserve,  or  rather  was  in- 
spired with  increasing  enthusiasm,  and  went  about 
openly  and  earnestly  proclaiming  his  doctrines,  and 
giving  himself  out  as  a  prophet,  sent  by  God  to  put  an 
end  to  idolatry,  and  to  mitigate  the  rigor  of  the  Jewish 
and  the  Christian  law.  The  hills  of  Safa  and  Kubeis, 
sanctified  by  traditions  concerning  Hagar  and  Ishmael, 
were  his  favorite  places  of  preaching,  and  Mount  Hara 
was  his  Sinai,  whither  he  retired  occasionally,  in  fits  of 
excitement  and  enthusiasm,  to  return  from  its  solitary 
cave  with  fresh  revelations  of  the  Koran. 

The  good  old  Christian  writers,  on  treating  of  the  ad- 
vent of  one  whom  they  denounce  as  the  Arab  enemy  of 
the  church,  make  superstitious  record  of  divers  prodigies 
which  occurred,  about  this  time,  awful   forerunners  of 


CHRISTIAN  PORTENTS.  75 

the  troubles  about  to  agitate  the  world.  In  Constanti- 
nople, at  that  time  the  seat  of  Christian  empire,  were 
several  monstrous  births  and  prodigious  apparitions, 
which  struck  dismay  into  the  hearts  of  all  beholders. 
In  certain  religious  processions  in  that  neighborhood, 
the  crosses  on  a  sudden  moved  of  themselves,  and  were 
violently  agitated,  causing  astonishment  and  terror. 
The  Nile,  too,  that  ancient  mother  of  wonders,  gave 
birth  to  two  hideous  forms,  seemingly  man  and  woman, 
which  rose  out  of  its  waters,  gazed  about  them  for  a  time 
with  terrific  aspect,  and  sank  again  beneath  the  waves. 
For  a  whole  day  the  sun  appeared  to  be  diminished  to 
one  third  of  its  usual  size,  shedding  pale  and  baleful  rays. 
During  a  moonless  night  a  furnace  light  glowed  through- 
out the  heavens,  and  bloody  lances  glittered  in  the  sky. 

All  these,  and  sundry  other  like  marvels,  were  inter- 
preted into  signs  of  coming  troubles.  The  ancient  ser- 
vants of  God  shook  their  heads  mournfully,  predicting 
the  reign  of  antichrist  at  hand ;  with  vehement  persecu- 
tion of  the  Christian  faith,  and  great  desolation  of  the 
churches ;  and  to  such  holy  men  who  have  passed 
through  the  trials  and  troubles  of  the  faith,  adds  the 
venerable  Padre  Jayme  Bleda,  it  is  given  to  understand 
and  explain  these  mysterious  portents,  which  forerun 
disasters  of  the  church ;  even  as  it  is  given  to  ancient 
mariners  to  read  in  the  signs  of  the  air,  the  heavens  and 
the  deep,  the  coming  tempest  which  is  to  overwhelm 
their  bark. 


76  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

Many  of  these  sainted  men  were  gathered  to  glory 
before  the  completion  of  their  prophecies.  There,  seated 
securely  in  the  empyreal  heavens,  they  may  have  looked 
down  with  compassion  upon  the  troubles  of  the  Christian 
world ;  as  men  on  the  serene  heights  of  mountains  look 
down  upon  the  tempests  which  sweep  the  earth  and  sea, 
wrecking  tall  ships,  and  rending  lofty  towers. 


CHAPTEK  VnL 


OUTLINES  OF   THE  MAHOMETAN  FAITH. 


HOUGH  it  is  not  intended  in  this  place  to 
go  fully  into  the  doctrines  promulgated  by 
Mahomet,  yet  it  is  important  to  the  right  ap- 
preciation of  his  character  and  conduct,  and  of  the  events 
and  circumstances  set  forth  in  the  following  narrative,  to 
give  their  main  features. 

It  must  be  particularly  borne  in  mind,  that  Mahomet 
did  not  profess  to  set  up  a  new  religion ;  but  to  restore 
that  derived  in  the  earliest  times  from  God  himself. 
"  We  follow,"  says  the  Koran,  "  the  religion  of  Abraham 
the  orthodox,  who  was  no  idolater.  We  believe  in  God 
and  that  which  hath  been  sent  down  to  us,  and  that 
which  hath  been  sent  down  unto  Abraham  and  Ishmael, 
and  Isaac  and  Jacob  and  the  tribes,  and  that  which  was 
delivered  unto  Moses  and  Jesus,  and  that  which  was  de- 
livered unto  the  prophets  from  the  Lord :  we  make  no 
distinction  between  any  of  them,  and  to  God  we  are  re- 
signed." * 

*  Koran,  chap.  ii. 

77 


73  MAHOMET  AND  MIS  SUCCESSORS. 

The  Koran,*  which  was  the  great  book  of  his  faith, 
was  delivered  in  portions  irom  time  to  time,  according 
to  the  excitement  of  his  feelings,  or  the  exigency  of  cir- 
cumstances. It  was  not  given  as  his  own  work,  but  as  a 
divine  revelation ;  as  the  very  words  of  God.  The  Deity 
is  supposed  to  speak  in  every  instance.  "  We  have  sent 
thee  down  the  book  of  truth,  confirming  the  scripture 
which  was  revealed  before  it,  and  preserving  the  same  in 
its  purity."  f 

The  law  of  Moses,  it  was  said,  had  for  a  time  been  the 
guide  and  rule  of  human  conduct.  At  the  coming  of  Je- 
sus Christ  it  was  superseded  by  the  Gospel ;  both  were 
now  to  give  place  to  the  Koran,  which  was  more  full  and 
explicit  than  the  preceding  codes,  and  intended  to  reform 
the  abuses  which  had  crept  into  them  through  the  neg- 
ligence or  the  corruptions  of  their  professors.  It  was  the 
completion  of  the  Law ;  after  it  there  would  be  no  more 
divine  revelations.  Mahomet  was  the  last,  as  he  was  the 
greatest,  of  the  line  of  prophets  sent  to  make  known  the 
will  of  God. 

The  unity  of  God  was  the  corner-stone  of  this  reformed 
religion.  "  There  is  no  God  but  God,"  was  its  leading- 
dogma.  Hence,  it  received  the  name  of  the  religion  of 
Islam,:]:  an  Arabian  word,  implying  submission  to  God. 


*  Derived  from  the  Arabic  word  Kora,  to  read  or  teach, 
f  Koran,  ch.  v. 

%  Some  etymologists  derive  Islam  from  Salem  or  Aslama,  which  signi- 
fies salvation.     The  Christians  form  from  it  the  term  Islamism,  and  the 


OUTLINES  OF  MAHOMETANISM.  79 

To  this  leading  dogma,  was  added,  "Mahomet  is  the 
prophet  of  God ;"  an  addition  authorized,  as  it  was  main- 
tained, by  the  divine  annunciation,  and  important  to  pro- 
cure a  ready  acceptation  of  his  revelations. 

Beside  the  unity  of  God,  a  belief  was  inculcated  in  his 
angels  or  ministering  spirits;  in  his  prophets;  in  the 
resurrection  of  the  body;  in  the  last  judgment  and  a 
future  state  of  rewards  and  punishments,  and  in  predes- 
tination. Much  of  the  Koran  may  be  traced  to  the 
Bible,  the  Mishnu  and  the  Talmud  of  the  Jews,*  espe- 
cially its  wild  though  often  beautiful  traditions  concern- 
ing the  angels,  the  prophets,  the  patriarchs,  and  the  good 

Jews  have  varied  it  into  Ismailism,  which  they  intend  as  a  reproach,  and 
an  allusion  to  the  origin  of  the  Arabs  as  descendants  of  Ishmael. 

From  Islam  the  Arabians  drew  the  terms  Moslem  or  Muslem,  and 
Musulman,  a  professor  of  the  faith  of  Islam,  These  terms  are  in  the 
singular  number  and  make  Musliman  in  the  dual,  and  Muslimen  in  the 
plural.  The  French  and  some  other  nations  follow  the  idioms  of  their 
own  languages  in  adopting  or  translating  the  Arabic  terms,  and  form  the 
plural  by  the  addition  of  the  letter  s  ;  writing  Musulman  and  Musul- 
mans.  A  few  English  writers,  of  whom  Gibbon  is  the  chief,  have  imi- 
tated them,  imagining  that  they  were  following  the  Arabian  usage.  Most 
English  authors,  however,  follow  the  idiom  of  their  own  language,  writ- 
ing Moslem  and  Moslems,  Musulman  and  Musulmen  ;  this  usage  is  also 
the  more  harmonious. 

*  The  Mishnu  of  the  Jews,  like  the  Sonna  of  the  Mahometans,  is  a  col- 
lection of  traditions  forming  the  Oral  Law.  It  was  compiled  in  the  sec- 
ond century  by  Judah  Hakkodish,  a  learned  Jewish  Rabbi,  during  the 
reign  of  Antoninus  Pius,  the  Roman  Emperor. 

The  Jerusalem  Talmud  and  the  Babylonish  Talmud,  are  both  commen- 
taries on  the  Mishnu.  The  former  was  compiled  at  Jerusalem,  about 
three  hundred  years  after  Christ,  and  the  latter  in  Babylonia,  about  two 
centuries  later.  The  Mishnu  is  the  most  ancient  record  possessed  by  the 
Jews  except  the  Bible. 


80  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

and  e^il  genii.  He  had  at  an  early  age  imbibed  a  rever- 
ence for  the  Jewish  faith,  his  mother,  it  is  suggested, 
having  been  of  that  religion. 

The  system  laid  down  in  the  Koran,  however,  was  es- 
sentially founded  on  the  Christian  doctrines  inculcated 
in  the  New  Testament ;  as  they  had  been  expounded  to 
him  by  the  Christian  sectarians  of  Arabia.  Our  Saviour 
was  to  be  held  in  the  highest  reverence  as  an  inspired 
prophet,  the  greatest  that  had  been  sent  before  the  time 
of  Mahomet,  to  reform  the  Law ;  but  all  idea  of  his  di- 
vinity was  rejected  as  impious,  and  the  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity  was  denounced  as  an  outrage  on  the  unity  of  God. 
Both  were  pronounced  errors  and  interpolations  of  the 
expounders ;  and  this,  it  will  be  observed,  was  the  opin- 
ion of  some  of  the  Arabian  sects  of  Christians. 

The  worship  of  saints  and  the  introduction  of  images 
and  paintings  representing  them,  were  condemned  as 
idolatrous  lapses  from  the  pure  faith  of  Christ,  and  such, 
we  have  already  observed,  were  the  tenets  of  the  Nes- 
torians  with  whom  Mahomet  is  known  to  have  had  much 
communication. 

All  pictures  representing  living  things  were  prohib- 
ited. Mahomet  used  to  say,  that  the  angels  would  not 
enter  a  house  in  which  there  were  such  pictures,  and 
that  those  who  made  them  would  be  sentenced  in  the 
next  world,  to  find  souls  for  them,  or  be  punished. 

Most  of  the  benignant  precepts  of  our  Saviour  were 
incorporated  in  the  Koran.     Frequent  alms-giving  was 


OUTLINES  OF  MAH0METANI8M.  81 

enjoined  as  an  imperative  duty,  and  the  immutable  law 
of  right  and  wrong,  "  Do  unto  another,  as  thou  wouldst 
he  should  do  unto  thee,"  was  given  for  the  moral  con 
duct  of  the  faithful. 

"  Deal  not  unjustly  with  others,"  says  the  Koran,  "  and 
ye  shall  not  be  dealt  with  unjustly.  If  there  be  any 
debtor  under  a  difficulty  of  paying  his  debt,  let  his  credi- 
tor wait  until  it  be  easy  for  him  to  do  it ;  but  if  he  remit 
it  in  alms,  it  will  be  better  for  him." 

Mahomet  inculcated  a  noble  fairness  and  sincerity  in 
dealing.  "  O  merchants !  "  would  he  say,  "falsehood  and 
deception  are  apt  to  prevail  in  traffic,  purify  it  therefore 
with  alms ;  give  something  in  charity  as  an  atonement ; 
for  God  is  incensed  by  deceit  in  dealing,  but  charity  ap- 
peases his  anger.  He  who  sells  a  defective  thing,  con- 
cealing its  defect,  will  provoke  the  anger  of  God  and  the 
curses  of  the  angels. 

"  Take  not  advantage  of  the  necessities  of  another  to 
buy  things  at  sacrifice ;  rather  relieve  his  indigence. 

"  Feed  the  hungry ;  visit  the  sick,  and  free  the  captive 
if  confined  unjustly. 

"Look  not  scornfully  upon  thy  fellow  man;  neither 
walk  the  earth  with  insolence ;  for  God  loveth  not  the 
arrogant  and  vainglorious.  Be  moderate  in  thy  pace,  and 
speak  with  a  moderate  tone ;  for  the  most  ungrateful  of 
all  voices  is  the  voice  of  asses."  * 

*  The  following  words  of  Mahomet,  treasured  up  by  one  of  his  disci- 
ples, appear  to  have  been  suggested  by  a  passage  in  Matthew  xxv.  35-45  s 
TOL.  i.—  6 


82  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

Idolatry  of  all  kinds  was  strictly  forbidden ;  indeed  it 
was  what  Mahomet  held  in  most  abhorrence.  Many  of 
the  religious  usages,  however,  prevalent  since  time  im- 
memorial among  the  Arabs,  to  which  he  had  been  accus- 
tomed from  infancy,  and  which  were  not  incompatible 
With  the  doctrine  of  the  unity  of  God,  were  still  retained. 
Such  was  the  pilgrimage  to  Mecca,  including  all  the  rites 
connected  with  the  Caaba,  the  well  of  Zem  Zem,  and 
other  sacred  places  in  the  vicinity ;  apart  from  any  wor- 
ship of  the  idols  by  which  they  had  been  profaned. 

The  old  Arabian  rite  of  prayer,  accompanied  or  rather 
preceded  by  ablution,  was  still  continued.  Prayers  in- 
deed were  enjoined  at  certain  hours  of  the  day  and  night ; 
they  were  simple  in  form  and  phrase,  addressed  directly 
to  the  Deity  with  certain  inflexions,  or  at  times  a  total 

"  Veiily,  God  will  say  at  the  day  of  resurrection,  *  0  sons  of  Adam  !  I 
was  sick,  and  ye  did  not  visit  me.'  Then  they  will  say,  «  How  could  we 
visit  thee  ?  for  thou  art  the  Lord  of  the  universe,  and  art  free  from  sick- 
ness.' And  God  will  reply,  '  Knew  ye  not  that  such  a  one  of  my  servants 
was  sick,  and  ye  did  not  visit  him  ?  Had  you  visited  that  servant,  it 
would  have  been  counted  to  you  as  righteousness.'  And  God  will  say, 
'  O  sons  of  Adam  !  I  asked  you  for  food,  and  ye  gave  it  me  not.'  And  the 
sons  of  Adam  will  say,  '  How  could  we  give  thee  food,  seeing  thou  art  the 
sustainer  of  the  universe,  and  art  free  from  hunger  ? '  And  God  will  say, 
'  Such  a  one  of  my  servants  asked  you  for  bread,  and  ye  refused  it.  Had 
you  given  him  to  eat,  ye  would  have  received  your  reward  from  me.'  And 
God  will  say,  '  0  sons  of  Adam,  I  asked  you  for  water,  and  ye  gave  it  me 
not.'  They  will  reply,  fc  O,  our  supporter  !  How  could  we  give  thee 
water,  seeing  thou  art  the  sustainer  of  the  universe,  and  not  subject  to 
thirst  ? '  And  God  will  say,  '  Such  a  one  of  my  servants  asked  you  for 
water,  and  ye  did  not  give  it  to  him.  Had  ye  done  so,  ye  would  have  re 
ceived  your  reward  from  me.' " 


OUTLINES  OF  MAH0METANI8M.  83 

prostration  of  the  body,  and  with  the  face  turned  towards 
the  Kebla,  or  point  of  adoration. 

At  the  end  of  each  prayer,  the  following  verse  from  the 
second  chapter  of  the  Koran  was  recited.  It  is  said  to 
have  great  beauty  in  the  original  Arabic,  and  is  engraved 
on  gold  and  silver  ornament?,  and  on  precious  stones 
worn  as  amulets.  "  God !  There  is  no  God  but  He,  the 
living,  the  ever  living ;  he  sleepeth  not,  neither  doth  he 
slumber.  To  him  belongeth  the  heavens,  and  the  earth, 
and  all  that  they  contain.  Who  shall  intercede  with  him 
unless  by  his  permission?  He  knoweth  the  past  and 
the  future,  but  no  one  can  comprehend  anything  of  his 
knowledge  but  that  which  he  revealeth.  His  sway  ex- 
tendeth  over  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  and  to  sustain 
them  both  is  no  burthen  to  him.  He  is  the  High,  the 
Mighty ! " 

Mahomet  was  strenuous  in  enforcing  the  importance 
and  efficacy  of  prayer.  "  Angels,"  said  he,  "  come  among 
you  both  by  night  and  day ;  after  which  those  of  the 
night  ascend  to  heaven,  and  God  asks  them  how  they  left 
his  creatures.  We  found  them,  say  they,  at  their  prayers, 
and  we  left  them  at  their  prayers." 

The  doctrines  in  the  Koran  respecting  the  resurrection 
and  final  judgment,  were  in  some  respects  similar  to 
those  of  the  Christian  religion,  but  were  mixed  up  with 
wild  notions  derived  from  other  sources ;  while  the  joys 
of  the  Moslem  heaven,  though  partly  spiritual,  were 
clogged  and  debased  by  the  sensualities  of  earth,  and  in- 


34  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

finitely  below  the  ineffable  purity  and  spiritual  blessed- 
ness of  the  heaven  promised  by  our  Saviour. 

Nevertheless,  the  description  of  the  last  day,  as  con- 
tained in  the  eighty-first  chapter  of  the  Koran,  and 
which  must  have  been  given  by  Mahomet  at  the  outset  of 
his  mission  at  Mecca,  as  one  of  the  first  of  his  revelations, 
partakes  of  sublimity. 

"  In  the  name  of  the  all  merciful  God !  a  day  shall 
come  when  the  sun  will  be  shrouded,  and  the  stars  will 
fall  from  the  heavens. 

"  When  the  camels  about  to  foal  will  be  neglected,  and 
wild  beasts  will  herd  together  through  fear. 

"  When  the  waves  of  the  ocean  will  boil,  and  the  souk 
of  the  dead  again  be  united  to  the  bodies. 

"When  the  female  infant  that  has  been  buried  alive 
will  demand,  For  what  crime  was  I  sacrificed  ?  and  the 
eternal  books  will  be  laid  open. 

"  When  the  heavens  will  pass  away  like  a  scroll,  and 
hell  will  burn  fiercely ;  and  the  joys  of  paradise  will  be 
made  manifest. 

"  On  that  day  shall  every  soul  make  known  that  which 
it  hath  performed. 

"  Verily,  I  swear  to  you  by  the  stars  which  move 
swiftly  and  are  lost  in  the  brightness  of  the  sun,  and  by 
the  darkness  of  the  night,  and  by  the  dawning  of  the  day, 
these  are  not  the  words  of  an  evil  spirit,  but  of  an  angel 
of  dignity  and  power,  who  possesses  the  confidence  of 
Allah,  and  is  revered  by  the  angels  under  his  command 


OUTLINES  OF  MAHOMETANISM.  86 

Neither  is  your  companion,  Mahomet,  distracted.  He 
beheld  the  celestial  messenger  in  the  light  of  the  clear 
horizon,  and  the  words  revealed  to  him  are  intended  a* 
an  admonition  unto  all  creatures." 


Note. — To  exhibit  the  perplexed  maze  of  controversial  doctrines  from 
which  Mahomet  had  to  acquire  his  notions  of  the  Christian  faith,  we  sub" 
join  the  leading  points  of  the  jarring  sects  of  oriental  Christians  alluded 
to  in  the  foregoing  article ;  all  of  which  have  been  pronounced  heretical 
or  schismatic. 

The  Sabellians,  so  called  from  Sabellius,  a  Libyan  priest  of  the  third 
century,  believed  in  the  unity  of  God,  and  that  the  Trinity  expressed  but 
three  different  states  or  relations,  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  all  form- 
ing but  one  substance,  as  a  man  consists  of  body  and  soul. 

The  Arians,  from  Arius,  an  ecclesiastic  of  Alexandria  in  the  fourth 
century,  affirmed  Christ  to  be  the  Son  of  God.  but  distinct  from  him  and 
inferior  to  him,  and  denied  the  Holy  Ghost  to  be  God. 

The  Nestorians,  from  Nestorius,  Bishop  of  Constantinople  in  the  fifth 
century,  maintained  that  Christ  had  two  distinct  natures,  divine  and  hu- 
-  man ;  that  Mary  was  only  his  mother,  and  Jesus  a  man,  and  that  it  was 
an  abomination  to  style  her,  as  was  the  custom  of  the  church,  the  Mother 
of  God. 

The  Monophysites  maintained  the  single  nature  of  Christ,  as  their  name 
betokens.  They  affirmed  that  he  was  combined  of  God  and  man,  so  min- 
gled and  united  as  to  form  but  one  nature. 

The  Eutychians,  from  Eutyches,  abbot  of  a  convent  in  Constantinople 
in  the  fifth  century,  were  a  branch  of  the  Monophysites,  expressly  opposed 
to  the  Nestorians.  They  denied  the  double  nature  of  Christ,  declaring 
that  he  was  entirely  God  previous  to  the  incarnation,  and  entirely  man 
during  the  incarnation. 

The  Jacobites,  from  Jacobus,  bishop  of  Edessa,  in  Syria,  in  the  sixth 
century,  were  a  very  numerous  branch  of  the  Monophysites,  varying  but 
little  from  the  Eutychians.  Most  of  the  Christian  tribes  of  Arabs  were 
Jacobites. 

The  Mariamites,  or  worshippers  of  Mary,  regarded  the  Trinity  as  con- 
sisting of  God  the  Father,  God  the  Son,  and  God  the  Virgin  Mary. 

The  Collyridians  were  a  sect  of  Arabian  Christians,  composed  chiefly  of 
females.     They  worshipped  the  Virgin  Mary  as  possessed  of  divinity,  and 


86  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

made  offerings  to  her  of  a  twisted  cake,  called  collyris,  whence  they  de» 
rived  their  name. 

The  Nazaraeaiis,  or  Nazarenes,  were  a  sect  of  Jewish  Christians,  who 
considered  Christ  as  the  Messiah,  as  born  of  a  Virgin  by  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  as  possessing  something  of  a  divine  nature  ;  but  they  conformed  in 
all  other  respects  to  the  rites  and  ceremonies  of  the  Mosaic  law. 

The  Sbionites,  from  Ebion,  a  converted  Jew,  who  lived  in  the  first  cen- 
tury, were  also  a  sect  of  judaizing  Christians,  little  differing  from  the 
Nazaraeans.  They  believed  Christ  to  be  a  pure  man,  the  greatest  of  the 
prophets,  but  denied  that  he  had  any  existence  previous  to  being  born  of 
the  Virgin  Mary.  This  sect,  as  well  as  that  of  the  Nazarteans,  had  many 
adherents  in  Arabia. 

Many  other  sects  might  be  enumerated,  such  as  the  Corinthians,  Ma- 
ronites,  and  Marcionites,  who  took  their  names  from  learned  and  zealous 
leaders  ;  ana  the  Docetes  and  Gnostics,  who  were  subdivided  into  various 
sects  of  subtle  enthusiasts.  Some  of  these  asserted  the  immaculate  purity 
of  the  Virgin  Mary,  affirming  that  her  conception  and  delivery  were  ef- 
fected like  the  transmission  of  the  rays  of  light  through  a  pane  of  glass, 
without  impairing  her  virginity :  an  opinion  still  maintained  strenuously 
in  substance  by  Spanish  Catholics. 

Most  of  the  Docetes  asserted  that  Jesus  Christ  was  of  a  nature  entirely 
divine ;  that  a  phantom,  a  mere  form  without  substance,  was  crucified  by- 
the  deluded  Jews,  and  that  the  crucifixion  and  resurrection  were  deceptive 
mystical  exhibitions  at  Jerusalem  for  the  benefit  of  the  human  race. 

The  Carpocratians,  Basilidians,  and  Valentinians,  named  after  three 
Egyptian  controversialists,  contended  that  Jesus  Christ  was  merely  a  wise 
and  virtuous  mortal,  the  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary,  selected  by  God  to  re- 
form and  instruct  mankind  ;  but  that  a  divine  nature  was  imparted  to 
him  at  the  maturity  of  his  age,  and  period  of  his  baptism,  by  St.  John. 
The  former  part  of  this  creed,  which  is  that  of  the  Ebionites,  has  been 
revived,  and  is  professed  by  some  of  the  Unitarian  Christians,  a  numer- 
ous and  increasing  sect  of  Protestants  of  the  present  day. 

It  is  sufficient  to  glance  at  these  dissensions,  which  we  have  not  ar- 
ranged in  chronological  order,  but  which  convulsed  the  early  Christian 
church,  and  continued  to  prevail  at  the  era  of  Mahomet,  to  acquit  him  of 
any  charge  of  conscious  blasphemy  in  the  opinions  he  inculcated  concern- 
ing the  nature  and  mission  of  our  Saviour. 


CHAPTEE  IX. 

RIDICULE  CAST  ON  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  DOCTRINES.— DEMAND    FOR    MIRACLES. 
— CONDUCT  OP    ABU  TALEB. — VIOLENCE  OF   THE  KOREISHITES. — MAHOMET'S 
DAUGHTER  ROKAIA,   WITH  HER   HUSBAND    OTHMAN  AND  A  NUMBER  OF  DIS- 
CIPLES,  TAKE  REFUGE  IN  ABYSSINIA. — MAHOMET    IN    THE    HOUSE    OF    ORK- 
.     HAM.— HOSTILITY  OF  ABU  JAHL  ■    HIS  PUNISHMENT. 

|HE  greatest  difficulty  with  which  Mahomet  had 
to  contend  at  the  outset  of  his  prophetic  ca- 
reer, was  the  ridicule  of  his  opponents.  Those 
who  had  known  him  from  his  infancy — who  had  seen  him 
a  boy  about  the  streets  of  Mecca ;  and  afterwards  occu- 
pied in  all  the  ordinary  concerns  of  life,  scoffed  at  his  as- 
sumption of  the  apostolic  character.  They  pointed  with 
a  sneer  at  him  as  he  passed,  exclaiming,  "  Behold  the 
grandson  of  Abd  al  Motalleb,  who  pretends  to  know  what 
is  going  on  in  heaven !  "  Some  who  had  witnessed  his 
fits  of  mental  excitement  and  ecstasy,  considered  him  in- 
sane ;  others  declared  that  he  was  possessed  of  a  devil, 
and  some  charged  him  with  sorcery  and  magic. 

When  he  walked  the  streets  he  was  subject  to  those 
jeers,  and  taunts,  and  insults  which  the  vulgar  are  apt  to 
vent  upon  men  of  eccentric  conduct  and  unsettled  mind. 
tf  he  attempted  to  preach,  his  voice  was  drowned  by  dis- 

87 


88  MAHOMET  AND   HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

cordant  noises  and  ribald  songs :  nay,  dirt  was  thrown 
upon  him  when  he  was  praying  in  the  Caaba. 

Nor  was  it  the  vulgar  and  ignorant  alone  who  thus  in- 
sulted him.  One  of  his  most  redoubtable  assailants  was 
a  youth  named  Amru ;  and  as  he  subsequently  made  a 
distinguished  figure  in  Mahometan  history,  we  would  im- 
press the  circumstances  of  this,  his  first  appearance,  upon 
the  mind  of  the  reader.  He  was  the  son  of  a  courtesan 
of  Mecca ;  who  seems  to  have  rivaled  in  fascination  the 
Phrynes  and  Aspasias  of  Greece,  and  to  have  numbered 
some  of  the  noblest  of  the  land  among  her  lovers.  When 
she  gave  birth  to  this  child,  she  mentioned  several  of  the 
tribe  of  Koreish  who  had  equal  claims  to  the  paternity. 
The  infant  was  declared  to  have  most  resemblance  to 
Aass,  the  oldest  of  her  admirers,  whence,  in  addition  to 
his  name  of  Amru,  he  received  the  designation  of  Ibn  al 
Aass,  the  son  of  Aass. 

Nature  had  lavished  her  choicest  gifts  upon  this  natu- 
ral child,  as  if  to  atone  for  the  blemish  of  his  birth. 
Though  young,  he  was  already  one  of  the  most  popular 
poets  of  Arabia,  and  equally  distinguished  for  the  pun- 
gency of  his  satirical  effusions  and  the  captivating  sweet- 
ness of  his  serious  lays. 

When  Mahomet  first  announced  his  mission,  this  youth 
assailed  him  with  lampoons  and  humorous  madrigals ; 
which,  falling  in  with  the  poetic  taste  of  the  Arabs,  were 
widely  circulated,  and  proved  greater  impediments  to  the 
growth  of  Islamism  than  the  bitterest  persecution. 


A  DEMAND  FOR  MIRACLES.  89 

Those  who  were  more  serious  in  their  opposition  de- 
manded of  Mahomet  supernatural  proofs  of  what  he 
asserted.  "  Moses,  and  Jesus,  and  the  rest  of  the  proph- 
ets," said  they,  "  wrought  miracles  to  prove  the  divin- 
ity of  their  missions.  If  thou  art  indeed  a  prophet, 
greater  than  they,  work  the  like  miracles." 

The  reply  of  Mahomet  may  be  gathered  from  his  own 
words  in  the  Koran.  "  What  greater  miracle  could  they 
have  than  the  Koran  itself ;  a  book  revealed  by  means  of 
an  unlettered  man  ;  so  elevated  in  language,  so  incontro- 
vertible in  argument,  that  the  united  skill  of  men  and 
devils  could  compose  nothing  comparable.  What  greater 
proof  could  there  be  that  it  came  from  none  but  God 
himself?     The  Koran  itself  is  a  miracle." 

They  demanded,  however,  more  palpable  evidence ; 
miracles  addressed  to  the  senses ;  that  he  should  cause 
the  dumb  to  speak,  the  deaf  to  hear,  the  blind  to  see,  the 
dead  to  rise ;  or  that  he  should  work  changes  in  the  face 
of  nature ;  cause  fountains  to  gush  forth  ;  change  a  sterile 
place  into  a  garden,  with  palm-trees,  and  vines,  and  run- 
ning streams  ;  cause  a  palace  of  gold  to  rise,  decked  with 
jewels  and  precious  stones ;  or  ascend  by  a  ladder  into 
heaven  in  their  presence.  Or,  if  the  Koran  did  indeed, 
as  he  affirmed,  come  down  from  heaven,  that  they  might 
see  it  as  it  descended,  or  behold  the  angei  who  brought 
it ;  and  then  they  would  believe. 

Mahomet  replied  sometimes  by  arguments,  sometimes 
by  denunciations.     He  claimed  to  be  nothing  more  than 


90  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

a  man  sent  by  God  as  an  apostle.  Had  angels,  said  he, 
walked  familiarly  on  earth,  an  angel  had  assuredly  been 
sent  on  this  mission;  but  woful  had  been  the  case  of 
those  who,  as  in  the  present  instance,  doubted  his  word. 
They  would  not  have  been  able,  as  with  me,  to  argue, 
and  dispute,  and  take  time  to  be  convinced ;  their  perdi- 
tion would  have  been  instantaneous.  "  God,"  added  he, 
"  needs  no  angel  to  enforce  my  mission.  He  is  a  sufficient 
witness  between  you  and  me.  Those  whom  he  shall  dis- 
pose to  be  convinced,  will  truly  believe ;  those  whom  he 
shall  permit  to  remain  in  error,  will  find  none  to  help 
their  unbelief.  On  the  day  of  resurrection  they  will  ap- 
pear blind,  and  deaf,  and  dumb,  and  groveling  on  their 
faces.  Their  abode  will  be  in  the  eternal  flames  of  Je- 
hennam.     Such  will  be  the  reward  of  their  unbelief. 

"You  insist  on  miracles.  God  gave  to  Moses  the 
power  of  working  miracles.  What  was  the  consequence  ? 
Pharaoh  disregarded  his  miracles,  accused  him  of  sor- 
cery, and  sought  to  drive  him  and  his  people  from  the 
land;  but  Pharaoh  was  drowned,  and  with  him  all  his 
host.  Would  ye  tempt  God  to  miracles,  and  risk  the 
punishment  of  Pharaoh  ?  " 

It  is  recorded  by  Al  Maalem,  an  Arabian  writer,  that 
some  of  Mahomet's  disciples  at  one  time  joined  with  the 
multitude  in  this  cry  for  miracles,  and  besought  him  to 
prove,  at  once,  the  divinity  of  his  mission,  by  turning  the 
hill  of  Safa  into  gold.  Being  thus  closely  urged,  he  be- 
took himself  to  prayer ;  and  having  finished,  assured  his 


MIRACLES   WROUGHT  BY  MAHOMET.  91 

followers  that  the  angel  Gabriel  had  appeared  to  him, 
and  informed  him  that,  should  God  grant  his  prayer,  and 
work  the  desired  miracle,  all  who  disbelieved  it  would  be 
exterminated.  In  pity  to  the  multitude,  therefore,  who 
appeared  to  be  a  stiff-necked  generation,  he  would  not 
expose  them  to  destruction  :  so  the  hill  of  Safa  was  per- 
mitted to  remain  in  its  pristine  state. 

Other  Moslem  writers  assert  that  Mahomet  departed 
from  his  self-prescribed  rule,  and  wrought  occasional 
miracles,  when  he  found  his  hearers  unusually  slow  of 
belief.  Thus  we  are  told  that,  at  one  time,  in  presence  of 
a  multitude,  he  called  to  him  a  bull,  and  took  from  his 
horns  a  scroll  containing  a  chapter  of  the  Koran,  just 
sent  down  from  heaven.  At  another  time,  while  discours- 
ing in  public,  a  white  dove  hovered  over  him,  and,  alight- 
ing on  his  shoulder,  appeared  to  whisper  in  his  ear; 
being,  as  he  said,  a  messenger  from  the  Deity.  On 
another  occasion  he  ordered  the  earth  before  him  to  be 
opened,  when  two  jars  were  found,  one  filled  with  honey, 
the  other  with  milk,  which  he  pronounced  emblems  of 
the  abundance  promised  by  heaven  to  all  who  should 
obey  his  law. 

Christian  writers  have  scoffed  at  these  miracles ;  sug- 
gesting that  the  dove  had  been  tutored  to  its  task,  and 
sought  grains  of  wheat  which  it  had  been  accustomed  to 
find  in  the  ear  of  Mahomet ;  that  the  scroll  had  pre- 
viously been  tied  to  the  horns  of  the  bull,  and  the  vessels 
of  milk  and  honey  deposited  in  the  ground.     The  true 


92  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

course  would  be  to  discard  these  miraculous  stories  alto- 
gether, as  fables  devised  by  mistaken  zealots ;  and  such 
they  have  been  pronounced  by  the  ablest  of  the  Moslem 
commentators. 

There  is  no  proof  that  Mahomet  descended  to  any 
artifices  of  the  kind  to  enforce  his  doctrines  or  establish 
his  apostolic  claims.  He  appears  to  have  relied  entirely 
on  reason  and  eloquence,  and  to  have  been  supported  by 
religious  enthusiasm  in  this  early  and  dubious  stage  of 
his  career.  His  earnest  attacks  upon  the  idolatry  which 
had  vitiated  and  superseded  the  primitive  worship  of  the 
Caaba,  began  to  have  a  sensible  effect,  and  alarmed  the 
Koreishites.  They  urged  Abu  Taleb  to  silence  his 
nephew  or  to  send  him  away  ;  but  finding  their  entreaties 
unavailing,  they  informed  the  old  man  that  if  this  pre- 
tended prophet  and  his  followers  persisted  in  their 
heresies,  they  should  pay  for  them  with  their  lives. 

Abu  Taleb  hastened  to  inform  Mahomet  of  these  men- 
aces, imploring  him  not  to  provoke  against  himself  and 
family  such  numerous  and  powerful  foes. 

The  enthusiastic  spirit  of  Mahomet  kindled  at  the 
words.  "  O  my  uncle !  "  exclaimed  he,  "  though  they 
should  array  the  sun  against  me  on  my  right  hand,  and 
the  moon  on  my  left,  yet,  until  God  should  command  me, 
or  should  take  me  hence,  would  I  not  depart  from  my 
purpose." 

He  was  retiring  with  dejected  countenance,  when  Abu 
Taleb  called  him  back.     The  old  man  was  as  yet  uncon- 


ANIMOSITY  OF  THE  KOREISHITES.  93 

verted,  but  he  was  struck  with  admiration  of  the  un- 
daunted firmness  of  his  nephew,  and  declared  that, 
preach  what  he  might,  he  would  never  abandon  him  to 
his  enemies.  Feeling  that  of  himself  he  could  not  yield 
sufficient  protection,  he  called  upon  the  other  descendants 
of  Haschem  and  Abd  al  Motalleb  to  aid  in  shielding  their 
kinsman  from  the  persecution  of  the  rest  of  the  tribe  of 
Koreish  ;  and  so  strong  is  the  family  tie  among  the 
Arabs,  that  though  it  was  protecting  him  in  what  they 
considered  a  dangerous  heresy,  they  all  consented  ex- 
cepting his  uncle  Abu  Lahab. 

The  animosity  of  the  Koreishites  became  more  and 
more  virulent,  and  proceeded  to  personal  violence.  Ma- 
homet was  assailed  and  nearly  strangled  in  the  Caaba, 
and  was  rescued  with  difficulty  by  Abu  Beker,  who  him- 
self suffered  personal  injury  in  the  affray.  His  immedi- 
ate family  became  objects  of  hatred,  especially  his 
daughter  Rokaia  and  her  husband  Othman  Ibn  Affan. 
Such  of  his  disciples  as  had  no  powerful  friends  to  pro- 
tect them  were  in  peril  of  their  lives.  Full  of  anxiety  for 
their  safety,  Mahomet  advised  them  to  leave  his  danger- 
ous companionship  for  the  present,  and  take  refuge  in 
Abyssinia.  The  narrowness  of  the  Red  Sea  made  it  easy 
to  reach  the  African  shore.  The  Abyssinians  were  Nes- 
torian  Christians,  elevated  by  their  religion  above  their 
barbarous  neighbors.  Their  najashee  or  king  was  reput- 
ed to  be  tolerant  and  just.  With  him  Mahomet  trusted 
his  daughter  and  his  fugitive  disciples  would  find  refuge. 


94  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSOBS. 

Othman  Ibn  Affan  was  the  leader  of  this  little  band  of 
Moslems,  consisting  of  eleven  men  and  four  women. 
They  took  the  way  by  the  sea-coast  to  Jodda,  a  port 
about  two  days'  journey  to  the  east  of  Mecca,  where  they 
found  two  Abyssinian  vessels  at  anchor,  in  which  they 
embarked,  and  sailed  for  the  land  of  refuge. 

This  event,  which  happened  in  the  fifth  year  of  the 
mission  of  Mahomet,  is  called  the  first  Hegira  or  Flight, 
to  distinguish  it  from  the  second  Hegira,  the  flight  of  the 
prophet  himself  from  Mecca  to  Medina.  The  kind  treat- 
ment experienced  by  the  fugitives  induced  others  of  the 
same  faith  to  follow  their  example,  until  the  number  of 
Moslem  refugees  in  Abyssinia  amounted  to  eighty-three 
men  and  eighteen  women,  besides  children. 

The  Koreishites  finding  that  Mahomet  was  not  to  be 
silenced,  and  was  daily  making  converts,  passed  a  law 
banishing  all  who  should  embrace  his  faith.  Mahomet 
retired  before  the  storm,  and  took  refuge  in  the  house  of 
a  disciple  named  Orkham,  situated  on  the  hill  of  Safa, 
This  hill,  as  has  already  been  mentioned,  was  renowned 
in  Arabian  tradition  as  the  one  on  which  Adam  and  Eve 
were  permitted  to  come  once  more  together,  after  the 
long  solitary  wandering  about  the  earth  which  followed 
their  expulsion  from  paradise.  It  was  likewise  connected 
in  tradition  with  the  fortunes  of  Hagar  and  Ishmael. 

Mahomet  remained  for  a  month  in  the  house  of  Ork- 
ham, continuing  his  revelations  and  drawing  to  him  sec- 
taries from  various  parts  of  Arabia.     The  hostility  of  the 


ABU  JAHL'S  PUNISHMENT.  95 

Koreishites  followed  him  to  his  retreat.  Abu  Jahl,  an 
Arab  of  that  tribe,  sought  him  out,  insulted  him  with 
opprobrious  language,  and  even  personally  maltreated 
him.  The  outrage  was  reported  to  Hamza,  an  uncle  of 
Mahomet,  as  he  returned  to  Mecca  from  hunting.  Hamza 
was  no  proselyte  to  Islamism,  but  he  was  pledged  to  pro- 
tect his  nephew.  Marching  .with  his  bow  unstrung  in  his 
hand  to  an  assemblage  of  the  Koreishites,  where  Abu 
Jahl  was  vaunting  his  recent  triumph,  he  dealt  the 
boaster  a  blow  over  the  head,  that  inflicted  a  grievous 
wound.  The  kinsfolk  of  Abu  Jahl  rushed  to  his  assist- 
ance, but  the  brawler  stood  in  awe  of  the  vigorous  arm 
and  fiery  spirit  of  Hamza,  and  sought  to  pacify  him. 
"Let  him  alone,"  said  he  to  his  kinsfolk;  "in  truth  I 
have  treated  his  nephew  very  roughly."  He  alleged  in 
palliation  of  his  outrage  the  apostasy  of  Mahomet ;  but 
Hamza  was  not  to  be  appeased.  "Well!"  cried  he, 
fiercely  and  scornfully,  "  I  also  do  not  believe  in  your 
gods  of  stone  ;  can  you  compel  me?"  Anger  produced 
in  his  bosom  what  reasoning  might  have  attempted  in 
vain.  He  forthwith  declared  himself  a  convert,  took  the 
oath  of  adhesion  to  the  prophet,  and  became  one  of  the 
most  zealous  and  valiant  champions  of  the  new  faith. 


CHAPTEE  X. 

OMAR  IBN  AL  KHATTAB,  NEPHEW  OF  ABU  JAHL,  UNDERTAKES  TO  REVENGB 
HIS  UNCLE  BY  SLAYING  MAHOMET.— HIS  WONDERFUL  CONVERSION  TO  THE 
FAITH. —  MAHOMET  TAKES  REFUGE  IN  A  CASTLE  OF  ABU  TALEB. — ABU 
SOFIAN  AT  THE  HEAD  OF  THE  RIVAL  BRANCH  OF  KOREISHITES,  PERSE- 
CUTES MAHOMET  AND  HIS  FOLLOWERS.— OBTAINS  A  DECREE  OF  NON-INTER- 
COURSE WITH  THEM. — MAHOMET  LEAVES  HIS  RETREAT  AND  MAKES  CON- 
VERTS DURING  THE  MONTH  OF  PILGRIMAGE.— LEGEND  OF  THE  CONVERSION 
OF   HABIB  THE   WISE. 

HE  hatred  of  Abu  Jahl  to  the  prophet  was  in- 
creased by  the  severe  punishment  received  at 
the  hands  of  Hamza.  He  had  a  nephew  named 
Omar  Ibn  al  Khattab ;  twenty-six  years  of  age  ;  of  gigan- 
tic stature,  prodigious  strength,  and  great  courage.  His 
savage  aspect  appalled  the  bold,  and  his  very  walking- 
staff  struck  more  terror  into  beholders  than  another 
man's  sword.  Such  are  the  words  of  the  Arabian  his- 
torian, Abu  Abdallah  Mohamed  Ibn  Omal  Alwakedi,  and 
the  subsequent  feats  of  this  warrior  prove  that  they  were 
scarce  chargeable  with  exaggeration. 

Instigated  by  his  uncle  Abu  Jahl,  this  fierce  Arab 
undertook  to  penetrate  to  the  retreat  of  Mahomet,  who 
was  still  in  the  house  of  Orkham,  and  to  strike  a  poniard 

96 


FURY  OF  OMAR  IBN  AL  KHATTAB.  97 

to  his  heart.  The  Koreishites  are  accused  of  having 
promised  him  one  hundred  camels  and  one  thousand 
ounces  of  gold  for  this  deed  of  blood ;  but  this  is  im- 
probable, nor  did  the  vengeful  nephew  of  Abu  Jahl  need 
a  bribe. 

As  he  was  on  his  way  to  the  house  of  Orkham  he  met 
a  Koreishite,  to  whom  he  imparted  his  design.  The 
Koreishite  was  a  secret  convert  to  Islamism,  and  sought 
to  turn  him  from  his  bloody  errand.  "  Before  you  slay 
Mahomet,"  said  he,  "and  draw  upon  yourself  the  ven- 
geance of  his  relatives,  see  that  your  own  are  free  from 
heresy."  "Are  any  of  mine  guilty  of  backsliding?" 
demanded  Omar  with  astonishment.  "Even  so,"  was  the 
reply ;  "  thy  sister  Amina  and  her  husband  Seid." 

Omar  hastened  to  the  dwelling  of  his  sister,  and  enter- 
ing it  abruptly,  found  her  and  her  husband  reading  the 
Koran.  Seid  attempted  to  conceal  it,  but  his  confusion 
convinced  Omar  of  the  truth  of  the  accusation,  and 
heightened  his  fury.  In  his  rage  he  struck  Seid  to  the 
earth ;  placed  his  foot  upon  his  breast,  and  would  have 
plunged  his  sword  into  it,  had  not  his  sister  interposed. 
A  blow  on  the  face  bathed  her  visage  in  blood.  "Enemy 
of  Allah!"  sobbed  Amina,  "dost  thou  strike  me  thus 
for  believing  in  the  only  true  God  ?  In  despite  of  thee 
and  thy  violence,  I  will  persevere  in  the  true  faith. 
Yes,"  added  she  with  fervor,  "'There  is  no  God  but 
God,  and  Mahomet  is  his  prophet : ' — And  now,  Omar, 
finish  thy  work !  " 
vol.  l.— 7 


98  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

Omar  paused;  repented  of  his  violence,  and  took  his 
foot  from  the  bosom  of  Seid. 

"  Show  me  the  writing,"  said  he.  Amina,  however, 
refused  to  let  him  touch  the  sacred  scroll  until  he  had 
washed  his  hands.  The  passage  which  he  read,  is  said 
to  have  been  the  twentieth  chapter  of  the  Koran,  which 
thus  begins : — 

"  In  the  name  of  the  most  merciful  God !  We  have 
not  sent  down  the  Koran  to  inflict  misery  on  mankind, 
but  as  a  monitor,  to  teach  him  to  believe  in  the  true  God, 
the  creator  of  the  earth  and  the  lofty  heavens. 

"  The  All  Merciful  is  enthroned  on  high,  to  him  be- 
longeth  whatsoever  is  in  the  heavens  above,  and  in  the 
earth  beneath,  and  in  the  regions  under  the  earth. 

"  Dost  thou  utter  thy  prayers  with  a  loud  voice  ?  know 
that  there  is  no  need.  God  knoweth  the  secrets  of  thy 
heart ;  yea,  that  which  is  most  hidden. 

"  Verily,  I  am  God ;  there  is  none  beside  me.  Serve  me, 
serve  none  other.     Offer  up  thy  prayer  to  none  but  me." 

The  words  of  the  Koran  sank  deep  into  the  heart  of 
Omar.  He  read  farther,  and  was  more  and  more  moved , 
but  when  he  came  to  the  parts  treating  of  the  resurrec- 
tion and  of  judgment,  his  conversion  was  complete. 

He  pursued  his  way  to  the  house  of  Orkham,  but  with 
an  altered  heart.  Knocking  humbly  at  the  door,  he 
craved  admission.  "  Come  in,  son  of  al  Khattab,"  ex- 
claimed Mahomet,  "  what  brings  thee  hither?  " 

"I  come  to  enroll  my  name  among  the  believers  of  God 


CONVERSION  OF  OMAR.  99 

and  his  prophet."     So  saying,  he  made  the  Moslem  pro- 
fession of  faith. 

He  was  not  content  until  his  conversion  was  publicly 
known.  At  his  request,  Mahomet  accompanied  him  in- 
stantly to  the  Caaba,  to  perform  openly  the  rites  of 
Islamism.  Omar  walked  on  the  left  hand  of  the  prophet, 
and  Hamza  on  the  right,  to  protect  him  from  injury  and 
insult,  and  they  were  followed  by  upwards  of  forty  dis 
ciples.  They  passed  in  open  day  through  the  streets  of 
Mecca,  to  the  astonishment  of  its  inhabitants.  Seven 
times  did  they  make  the  circuit  of  the  Caaba,  touching 
each  time  the  sacred  black  stone,  and  complying  with  all 
the  other  ceremonials.  The  Koreishites  regarded  this 
procession  with  dismay,  but  dared  not  approach  nor 
molest  the  prophet,  being  deterred  by  the  looks  of  those 
terrible  men  of  battle,  Hamza  and  Omar ;  who,  it  is  said, 
glared  upon  them  like  two  lions  that  had  been  robbed  of 
their  young. 

Fearless  and  resolute  in  everything,  Omar  went  by 
himself  the  next  day  to  pray  as  a  Moslem  in  the  Caaba, 
in  open  defiance  of  the  Koreishites.  Another  Moslem, 
who  entered  the  temple,  was  interrupted  in  his  worship, 
and  rudely  treated ;  but  no  one  molested  Omar,  because 
he  was  the  nephew  of  Abu  Jahl.  Omar  repaired  to  his 
uncle.  "  I  renounce  thy  protection,"  said  he.  "  I  will 
not  be  better  off  than  my  fellow-believers."  From  that 
Sime  he  cast  his  lot  with  the  followers  of  Mahomet,  and 

is  one  of  his  most  strenuous  defenders. 


100  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

Such  was  the  wonderful  conversion  of  Omar,  afterwards 
the  most  famous  champion  of  the  Islam  faith.  So  exas- 
perated were  the  Koreishites  by  this  new  triumph  of 
Mahomet,  that  his  uncle  Abu  Taleb  feared  they  might  at- 
tempt the  life  of  his  nephew,  either  by  treachery  or  open 
violence.  At  his  earnest  entreaties,  therefore,  the  latter, 
accompanied  by  some  of  his  principal  disciples,  withdrew 
to  a  kind  of  castle,  or  stronghold,  belonging  to  Abu  Taleb, 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  city. 

The  protection  thus  given  by  Abu  Taleb,  the  head  of 
the  Haschemites,  and  by  others  of  his  line,  to  Mahomet 
and  his  followers,  although  differing  from  them  in  faith, 
drew  on  them  the  wrath  of  the  rival  branch  of  the  Kore- 
ishites, and  produced  a  schism  in  the  tribe.  Abu  Sofian, 
the  head  of  that  branch,  availed  himself  of  the  heresies 
of  the  prophet  to  throw  discredit,  not  merely  upon  such 
of  his  kindred  as  had  embraced  his  faith,  but  upon  the 
whole  line  of  Haschem,  which,  though  dissenting  from 
his  doctrines,  had,  through  mere  clannish  feelings,  pro- 
tected him.  It  is  evident  the  hostility  of  Abu  Sofian 
arose,  not  merely  from  personal  hatred  or  religious 
scruples,  but  from  family  feud.  He  was  ambitious  oi 
transferring  to  his  own  line  the  honors  of  the  city  so 
long  engrossed  by  the  Haschemites.  The  last  measure  of 
the  kind-hearted  Abu  Taleb,  in  placing  Mahomet  beyond 
the  reach  of  persecution,  and  giving  him  a  castle  as  a 
refuge,  was  seized  upon  by  Abu  Sofian  and  his  adherents, 
as  a  pretext  for  a  general  ban  of  the  rival  line.     They 


MAHOMET  AMONG   THE  PILGRIMS.  101 

accordingly  issued  a  decree,  forbidding  the  rest  of  the 
tribe  of  Koreish  from  intermarrying,  or  holding  any  in- 
tercourse, even  of  bargain  or  sale,  with  the  Haschem- 
ites,  until  they  should  deliver  up  their  kinsman,  Maho- 
met, for  punishment.  This  decree,  which  took  place  in 
the  seventh  year  of  what  is  called  the  mission  of  the 
prophet,  was  written  on  parchment,  and  hung  up  in  the 
Caaba.  It  reduced  Mahomet  and  his  disciples  to  great 
straits,  being  almost  famished  at  times  in  the  stronghold 
in  which  they  had  taken  refuge.  The  fortress  was  also 
beleaguered  occasionally  by  the  Koreishites,  to  enforce 
the  ban  in  all  its  rigor,  and  to  prevent  the  possibility  of 
supplies. 

The  annual  season  of  pilgrimage,  however,  when  hosts 
of  pilgrims  repair  from  all  parts  of  Arabia  to  Mecca, 
brought  transient  relief  to  the  persecuted  Moslems. 
During  that  sacred  season,  according  to  immemorial  law 
and  usage  among  the  Arabs,  all  hostilities  were  sus- 
pended, and  warring  tribes  met  in  temporary  peace  to 
worship  at  the  Caaba.  At  such  times  Mahomet  and  his 
disciples  would  venture  from  their  stronghold  and  return 
to  Mecca.  Protected  also  by  the  immunity  of  the  holy 
month,  Mahomet  would  mingle  among  the  pilgrims  and 
preach  and  pray ;  propound  his  doctrines,  and  proclaim 
his  revelations.  In  this  way  he  made  many  converts, 
who,  on  their  return  to  their  several  homes,  carried  with 
them  the  seeds  of  the  new  faith  to  distant  regions. 
Among  these  converts  were  occasionally  the  princes  or 


102  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

heads  of  tribes,  whose  example  had  an  influence  on  then 
adherents.  Arabian  legends  give  a  pompous  and  extrav- 
agant account  of  the  conversion  of  one  of  these  princes ; 
which,  as  it  was  attended  by  some  of  the  most  noted 
miracles  recorded  of  Mahomet,  may  not  be  unworthy  of 
an  abbreviated  insertion. 

The  prince  in  question  was  Habib  Ibn  Malec,  surnamed 
the  Wise  on  account  of  his  vast  knowledge  and  erudition ; 
for  he  is  represented  as  deeply  versed  in  magic  and  the 
sciences,  and  acquainted  with  all  religions,  to  their  very 
foundations,  having  read  all  that  had  been  written  con- 
cerning them,  and  also  acquired  practical  information,  for 
he  had  belonged  to  them  all  by  turns,  having  been  Jew, 
Christian,  and  one  of  the  Magi.  It  is  true,  he  had  had 
more  than  usual  time  for  his  studies  and  experience,  hav- 
ing, according  to  Arabian  legend,  attained  to  the  age  of 
one  hundred  and  forty  years.  He  now  came  to  Mecca  at 
the  head  of  a  powerful  host  of  twenty  thousand  men, 
bringing  with  him  a  youthful  daughter,  Satiha,  whom  he 
must  have  begotten  in  a  ripe  old  age ;  and  for  whom  he 
was  putting  up  prayers  at  the  Caaba,  she  having  been 
struck  dumb,  and  deaf,  and  blind,  and  deprived  of  the 
use  of  her  limbs. 

Abu  Sofian  and  Abu  Jahl,  according  to  the  legend, 
thought  the  presence  of  this  very  powerful,  very  idola- 
trous, and  very  wise  old  prince,  at  the  head  of  so  formi- 
dable a  host,  a  favorable  opportunity  to  effect  the  ruin  of 
Mahomet.     They  accordingly  informed  Habib  the  Wise 


LEGEND  OF  HABIB  THE  WISE.  103 

of  the  heresies  of  the  pretended  prophet ;  and  prevailed 
upon  the  venerable  prince  to  summon  him  into  his  pres- 
ence, at  his  encampment  in  the  Valley  of  Flints,  there  to 
defend  his  doctrines ;  in  the  hope  that  his  obstinacy  in 
error  would  draw  upon  him  banishment  or  death. 

The  legend  gives  a  magnificent  account  of  the  issuing 
forth  of  the  idolatrous  Koreishites,  in  proud  array,  on 
horseback  and  on  foot,  led  by  Abu  Sofian  and  Abu  Jahl, 
to  attend  the  grand  inquisition  in  the  Valley  of  Flints  ; 
and  of  the  oriental  state  in  which  they  were  received  by 
Habib  the  Wise,  seated  under  a  tent  of  crimson,  on  a 
throne  of  ebony,  inlaid  with  ivory  and  sandal-wood,  and 
covered  with  plates  of  gold. 

Mahomet  was  in  the  dwelling  of  Cadijah  when  he  re- 
ceived a  summons  to  this  formidable  tribunal.  Cadijah 
was  loud  in  her  expressions  of  alarm  ;  and  his  daughters 
hung  about  his  neck,  weeping  and  lamenting,  for  they 
thought  him  going  to  certain  death;  but  he  gently  re- 
buked their  fears,  and  bade  them  trust  in  Allah. 

Unlike  the  ostentatious  state  of  his  enemies,  Abu  So- 
fian and  Abu  Jahl,  he  approached  the  scene  of  trial  in 
simple  guise,  clad  in  a  white  garment,  with  a  black  tur- 
ban, and  a  mantle  which  had  belonged  to  his  grandfather, 
Abd  al  Motalleb,  and  was  made  of  the  stuff  of  Aden.  His 
hair  floated  below  his  shoulders,  the  mysterious  light  of 
prophecy  beamed  from  his  countenance  ;  and  though  he 
had  not  anointed  his  beard,  nor  used  any  perfumes,  ex- 
cepting a  little  musk  and  camphor  for  the  hair  of  his 


104  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

upper  lip,  yet  wherever  he  passed  a  bland  odor  diffused 
itself  around,  being,  say  the  Arabian  writers,  the  fragrant 
emanations  from  his  person. 

He  was  preceded  by  the  zealous  Abu  Beker,  clad  in  a 
scarlet  vest  and  white  turban ;  with  his  mantle  gathered 
up  under  his  arms,  so  as  to  display  his  scarlet  slippers. 

A  silent  awe,  continues  the  legend,  fell  upon  the  vast 
assemblage  as  the  prophet  approached.  Not  a  murmur, 
not  a  whisper  was  to  be  heard.  The  very  brute  animals 
were  charmed  to  silence  ;  and  the  neighing  of  the  steed, 
the  bellowing  of  the  camel,  and  the  braying  of  the  ass 
were  mute. 

The  venerable  Habib  received  him  graciously :  his  first 
question  was  to  the  point.  "They  tell  thou  dost  pretend 
to  be  a  prophet  sent  from  God  ?     Is  it  so  ?  " 

"  Even  so,"  replied  Mahomet.  "  Allah  has  sent  me  to 
proclaim  the  veritable  faith." 

"  Good,"  rejoined  the  wary  sage,  "  but  every  prophet 
has  given  proof  of  his  mission  by  signs  and  miracles. 
Noah  had  his  rainbow :  Solomon  his  mysterious  ring : 
Abraham  the  fire  of  the  furnace,  which  became  cool  at 
his  command  :  Isaac  the  ram,  which  was  sacrificed  in  his 
stead  :  Moses  his  wonder-working  rod,  and  Jesus  brought 
the  dead  to  life,  and  appeased  tempests  with  a  word.  If, 
then,  thou  art  really  a  prophet,  give  us  a  miracle  in 
proof." 

The  adherents  of  Mahomet  trembled  for  him  when 
they  heard  this  request,  and  Abu  Jahl  clapped  his  hands, 


LEGEND   OF  HABIB  THE  WISE.  105 

and  extolled  the  sagacity  of  Habib  the  Wise.  But  the 
prophet  rebuked  him  with  scorn.  " Peace!  dog  of  thy 
race  !  "  exclaimed  he ;  "  disgrace  of  thy  kindred,  and  of 
thy  tribe."  He  then  calmly  proceeded  to  execute  the 
wishes  of  Habib. 

The  first  miracle  demanded  of  Mahomet  was  to  reveal 
what  Habib  had  within  his  tent,  and  why  he  had  brought 
it  to  Mecca. 

Upon  this,  says  the  legend,  Mahomet  bent  toward  the 
earth  and  traced  figures  upon  the  sand.  Then  raising 
his  head,  he  replied,  "O  Habib!  thou  hast  brought 
hither  thy  daughter,  Satiha,  deaf  and  dumb,  and  lame 
and  blind,  in  the  hope  of  obtaining  relief  of  Heaven.  Go 
to  thy  tent ;  speak  to  her,  and  hear  her  reply,  and  know 
that  God  is  all-powerful." 

The  aged  prince  hastened  to  his  tent.  His  daughter 
met  him  with  light  step  and  extended  arms,  perfect  in  all 
her  faculties,  her  eyes  beaming  with  joy,  her  face  clothed 
with  smiles,  and  more  beauteous  than  the  moon  in  an  un- 
clouded night. 

The  second  miracle  demanded  by  Habib  was  still 
more  difficult.  It  was  that  Mahomet  should  cover  the 
noontide  heaven  with  supernatural  darkness,  and  cause 
the  moon  to  descend  and  rest  upon  the  top  of  the  Caaba. 

The  prophet  performed  this  miracle  as  easily  as  the 
first.  At  his  summons,  a  darkness  blotted  out  the  whole 
light  of  day.  The  moon  was  then  seen  straying  from 
her  course  and  wandering  about  the  firmament.     By  the 


106  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

irresistible  power  of  the  prophet,  she  was  drawn  from  the 
heavens  and  rested  on  the  top  of  the  Caaba.  She  then 
performed  seven  circuits  about  it,  after  the  manner  of 
the  pilgrims,  and  having  made  a  profound  reverence  to 
Mahomet,  stood  before  him  with  lambent,  wavering  mo- 
tion, like  a  flaming  sword,  giving  him  the  salutation  of 
peace,  and  hailing  him  as  a  prophet. 

Not  content  with  this  miracle,  pursues  the  legend, 
Mahomet  compelled  the  obedient  luminary  to  enter  by 
the  right  sleeve  of  his  mantle,  and  go  out  by  the  left ; 
then  to  divide  into  two  parts,  one  of  which  went  towards 
the  east,  and  the  other  towards  the  west,  and  meeting  in 
the  centre  of  the  firmament  reunited  themselves  into  a 
round  and  glorious  globe. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  Habib  the  Wise  was  con- 
vinced, and  converted  by  these  miracles,  as  were  also 
four  hundred  and  seventy  of  the  inhabitants  of  Mecca. 
Abu  Jahl,  however,  was  hardened  in  unbelief,  exclaiming 
that  all  was  illusion  and  enchantment  produced  by  the 
magic  of  Mahomet. 

Note. — The  miracles  here  recorded  are  not  to  be  found  in  the  pages  of 
the  accurate  Abulfeda,  nor  are  they  maintained  by  any  of  the  graver  of 
the  Moslem  writers  ;  but  they  exist  in  tradition,  and  are  set  forth  with 
great  prolixity  by  apocryphal  authors,  who  insist  that  they  are  alluded  to 
in  the  fifty-fourth  chapter  of  the  Koran.  They  are  probably  as  true 
as  many  other  of  the  wonders  related  of  the  prophet.  It  will  be  remem- 
bered that  he  himself  claimed  but  one  miracle,  "the  Koran." 


CHAPTER  XL 


THE  BAN  OP  NON-INTERCOURSE  MYSTERIOUSLY  DESTROYED.— MAHOMBT  EN. 
ABLED  TO  RETURN  TO  MECCA. — DEATH  OP  ABU  TALEB ;  OF  CADIJAH. — 
MAHOMET  BETROTHS  HIMSELF  TO  AYESHA. — MARRIES  SAWDA. — THE  KO- 
REISHITES  RENEW  THEIR  PERSECUTION. — MAHOMET  SEEKS  AN  ASYLUM  IN 
TAYEF.— HIS  EXPULSION  THENCE.— VISITED  BY  GENII  IN  THE  DESERT  OF 
NAKLAH. 


HREE  years  had  elapsed  since  Mahomet  and 
his  disciples  took  refuge  in  the  castle  of  Abu 
Taleb.  The  ban  or  decree  still  existed  in  the 
Caaba,  cutting  them  off  from  alT intercourse  with  the  rest 
of  their  tribe.  The  sect,  as  usual,  increased  under  per- 
secution, Many  joined  it  in  Mecca ;  murmurs  arose 
against  the  unnatural  feud  engendered  among  the  Ko- 
/-eishites,  and  Abu  Sofian  was  made  to  blush  for  the 
lengths  to  which  he  had  carried  his  hostility  against 
some  of  his  kindred. 

All  at  once  it  was  discovered  that  the  parchment  in 
the  Caaba,  on  which  the  decree  had  been  written,  was  so 
substantially  destroyed,  that  nothing  of  the  writing  re- 
mained but  the  initial  words,  "In  thy  name,  O  Almighty 
God ! "  The  decree  was,  therefore,  declared  to  be  an- 
nulled, and  Mahomet  and  his  followers  were  permitted  to 

107 


108  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

return  to  Mecca  unmolested.  The  mysterious  removal  of 
this  legal  obstacle  has  been  considered  by  pious  Moslems, 
another  miracle  wrought  by  supernatural  agency  in  favor 
of  the  prophet ;  though  unbelievers  have  surmised  that 
the  document,  which  was  becoming  embarrassing  in  its 
effects  to  Abu  Sofian  himself,  was  secretly  destroyed  by 
mortal  hands. 

The  return  of  Mahomet  and  his  disciples  to  Mecca, 
was  followed  by  important  conversions,  both  of  inhabi- 
tants of  the  city  and  of  pilgrims  from  afar.  The  chagrin 
experienced  by  the  Koreishites  from  the  growth  of  this 
new  sect,  was  soothed  by  tidings  of  victories  of  the  Per- 
sians over  the  Greeks,  by  which  they  conquered  Syria 
and  a  part  of  Egypt.  The  idolatrous  Koreishites  exulted 
in  the  defeat  of  the  Christian  Greeks,  whose  faith,  being 
opposed  to  the  worship  of  idols,  they  assimilated  to  that 
preached  by  Mahomet.  The  latter  replied  to  their  taunts 
and  exultations,  by  producing  the  thirtieth  chapter  of  the 
Koran,  opening  with  these  words :  "  The  Greeks  have 
been  overcome  by  the  Persians,  but  they  shall  overcome 
the  latter  in  the  course  of  a  few  years." 

The  zealous  and  believing  Abu  Beker  made  a  wager  of 
ten  camels,  that  this  prediction  would  be  accomplished 
within  three  years.  "  Increase  the  wager,  but  lengthen 
the  time,"  whispered  Mahomet.  Abu  Beker  staked  one 
hundred  camels,  but  made  the  time  nine  years.  The  pre- 
diction was  verified  and  the  wager  won.  This  anecdote 
is  confidently  cited  by  Moslem  doctors,  as  a  proof  that  the 


DEATH  OF  ABU  TALEB  AND  OF  CADIJAH.       109 

Koran  came  down  from  heaven,  and  that  Mahomet  pos- 
sessed the  gift  of  prophecy.  The  whole,  if  true,  was  no 
doubt  a  shrewd  guess  into  futurity,  suggested  by  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  actual  state  of  the  warring  powers. 

Not  long  after  his  return  to  Mecca,  Mahomet  was  sum- 
moned to  close  the  eyes  of  his  uncle  Abu  Taleb,  then 
upwards  of  fourscore  years  of  age,  and  venerable  in  char- 
acter as  in  person.  As  the  hour  of  death  drew  nigh, 
Mahomet  exhorted  his  uncle  to  make  the  profession  of 
faith  necessary,  according  to  the  Islam  creed,  to  secure  a 
blissful  resurrection. 

A  spark  of  earthly  pride  lingered  in  the  breast  of  the 
dying  patriarch.  "  O  son  of  my  brother !  "  replied  he, 
"  should  I  repeat  those  words,  the  Koreishites  would  say, 
I  did  so  through  fear  of  death." 

Abulfeda,  the  historian,  insists  that  Abu  Taleb  actually 
died  in  the  faith.  Al  Abbas,  he  says,  hung  over  the  bed 
of  his  expiring  brother,  and  perceiving  his  lips  to  move, 
approached  his  ear  to  catch  his  dying  words.  They  were 
the  wished-for  confession.  Others  affirm  that  his  last 
words  were,  "I  die  in  the  faith  of  Abd  al  Motalleb." 
Commentators  have  sought  to  reconcile  the  two  accounts, 
by  asserting  that  Abd  al  Motalleb,  in  his  latter  days  re- 
nounced the  worship  of  idols,  and  believed  in  the  unity 
of  God. 

Scarce  three  days  had  elapsed  from  the  death  of  the 
venerable  Abu  Taleb,  when  Cadijah,  the  faithful  and  de- 
voted wife   of  Mahomet,  likewise   sank   into  the   grave. 


HO  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

She  was  sixty-five  years  of  age.  Mahomet  wept  bitterly 
at  her  tomb,  and  clothed  himself  in  mourning  for  her, 
and  for  Abu  Taleb,  so  that  this  year  was  called  the  year 
of  mourning.  He  was  comforted  in  his  affliction,  says 
the  Arabian  author,  Abu  Horaira,  by  an  assurance  from 
the  angel  Gabriel,  that  a  silver  palace  was  allotted  to 
Cadijah  in  Paradise,  as  a  reward  for  her  great  faith  and 
her  early  services  to  the  cause. 

Though  Cadijah  had  been  much  older  than  Mahomet 
at  the  time  of  their  marriage,  and  past  the  bloom  of  years 
when  women  are  desirable  in  the  East,  and  though  the 
prophet  was  noted  for  an  amorous  temperament,  yet  he 
is  said  to  have  remained  true  to  her  to  the  last ;  nor  ever 
availed  himself  of  the  Arabian  law,  permitting  a  plurality 
of  wives,  to  give  her  a  rival  in  his  house.  When,  how- 
ever, she  was  laid  in  the  grave,  and  the  first  transport  of 
his  grief  had  subsided,  he  sought  to  console  himself  for 
her  loss,  by  entering  anew  into  wedlock ;  and  henceforth 
indulged  in  a  plurality  of  wives.  He  permitted,  by  his 
law,  four  wives,  to  each  of  his  followers ;  but  did  not 
limit  himself  to  that  number;  for  he  observed  that  a 
prophet,  being  peculiarly  gifted  and  privileged,  was  not 
bound  to  restrict  himself  to  the  same  laws  as  ordinary 
mortals. 

His  first  choice  was  made  within  a  month  after  the 
death  of  Cadijah,  and  fell  upon  a  beautiful  child  named 
Ayesha,  the  daughter  of  his  faithful  adherent,  Abu  Be- 
ker.    Perhaps  he  sought,  by  this  alliance,  to  grapple  Abu 


BETROTHED   TO  ATESHAW.  HI 

Beker  still  more  strongly  to  his  side ;  he  being  one  of 
the  bravest  and  most  popular  of  his  tribe.  Ayesha,  how- 
ever, was  but  seven  years  of  age,  and,  though  females 
soon  bloom  and  ripen  in  those  eastern  climes,  she  was 
yet  too  young  to  enter  into  the  married  state.  He  was 
merely  betrothed  to  her,  therefore,  and  postponed  their 
nuptials  for  two  years,  during  which  time  he  caused  her 
to  be  carefully  instructed  in  the  accomplishments  proper 
to  an  Arabian  maiden  of  distinguished  rank. 

Upon  this  wife,  thus  chosen  in  the  very  blossom  of  her 
years,  the  prophet  doted  more  passionately  than  upon 
any  of  those  whom  he  subsequently  married.  All  these 
had  been  previously  experienced  in  wedlock ;  Ayesha,  he 
said,  was  the  only  one  who  came  a  pure  unspotted  virgin 
to  his  arms. 

Still,  that  he  might  not  be  without  due  solace  while 
Ayesha  was  attaining  the  marriageable  age,  he  took,  as  a 
wife,  Sawda,  the  widow  of  Sokran,  one  of  his  followers. 
She  had  been  nurse  to  his  daughter  Fatima,  and  was  one 
of  the  faithful  who  fled  into  Abyssinia  from  the  early 
persecutions  of  the  people  of  Mecca.  It  is  pretended 
that,  while  in  exile,  she  had  a  mysterious  intimation  of 
the  future  honor  which  awaited  her ;  for  she  dreamt  that 
Mahomet  laid  his  head  upon  her  bosom.  She  recounted 
the  dream  to  her  husband  Sokran,  who  interpreted  it  as 
a  prediction  of  his  speedy  death,  and  of  her  marriage 
with  the  prophet. 

The  marriage,  whether  predicted  or  not,  was  one  of 


112  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

mere  expediency.  Mahomet  never  loved  Sawda  with  the 
affection  he  manifested  for  his  other  wives.  He  would 
even  have  put  her  away  in  after  years,  but  she  implored 
to  be  allowed  the  honor  of  still  calling  herself  his  wife ; 
proffering  that,  whenever  it  should  come  to  her  turn  to 
share  the  marriage  bed,  she  would  relinquish  her  right 
to  Ayesha.  Mahomet  consented  to  an  arrangement  which 
favored  his  love  for  the  latter,  and  Sawda  continued,  as 
long  as  she  lived,  to  be  nominally  his  wife. 

Mahomet  soon  became  sensible  of  the  loss  he  had 
sustained  in  the  death  of  Abu  Taleb;  who  had  been 
not  merely  an  affectionate  relative,  but  a  steadfast  and 
powerful  protector,  from  his  great  influence  in  Mecca. 
At  his  death  there  was  no  one  to  check  and  counteract 
the  hostilities  of  Abu  Sofian  and  Abu  Jahl ;  who  soon 
raised  up  such  a  spirit  of  persecution  among  the  Koreish- 
ites,  that  Mahomet  found  it  unsafe  to  continue  in  his  na- 
tive place.  He  set  out,  therefore,  accompanied  by  his 
freedman  Zeid,  to  seek  a  refuge  at  Tayef,  a  small  walled 
town,  about  seventy  miles  from  Mecca,  inhabited  by  the 
Thakifites,  or  Arabs  of  the  tribe  of  Thakeef.  It  was  one 
of  the  favored  places  of  Arabia,  situated  among  vineyards 
and  gardens.  Here  grew  peaches  and  plums,  melons  and 
pomegranates ;  figs,  blue  and  green,  the  nebeck-tree  pro- 
ducing the  lotus,  and  palm-trees  with  their  clusters  of 
green  and  golden  fruit.  So  fresh  were  its  pastures  and 
fruitful  its  fields,  contrasted  with  the  sterility  of  the 
neighboring  deserts,  that  the  Arabs  fabled  it  to  have 


EXPULSION  FROM  TAYEF.  113 

orignally  been  a  part  of  Syria,  broken  off  and  floated 
hither  at  the  time  of  the  deluge. 

Mahomet  entered  the  gates  of  Tayef,  with  some  degree 
of  confidence,  trusting  for  protection  to  the  influence  of 
his  uncle  Al  Abbas,  who  had  possessions  there.  He 
could  not  have  chosen  a  worse  place  of  refuge.  Tayef 
was  one  of  the  strongholds  of  idolatry.  Here  was  main- 
tained in  all  its  force  the  worship  of  El  Lat,  one  of  the 
female  idols  already  mentioned.  Her  image  of  stone  was 
covered  with  jewels  and  precious  stones,  the  offerings  of 
her  votaries ;  it  was  believed  to  be  inspired  with  life,  and 
the  intercession  of  El  Lat  was  implored  as  one  of  the 
daughters  of  God. 

Mahomet  remained  about  a  month  in  Tayef,  seeking  in 
vain  to  make  proselytes  among  its  inhabitants.  When  he 
attempted  to  preach  his  doctrines,  his  voice  was  drowned 
by  clamors.  More  than  once  he  was  wounded  by  stones 
thrown  at  him,  and  which  the  faithful  Zeid  endeavored  in 
vain  to  ward  off.  So  violent  did  the  popular  fury  become 
at  last,  that  he  was  driven  from  the  city,  and  even  pur- 
sued for  some  distance  beyond  the  walls  by  an  insulting 
rabble  of  slaves  and  children. 

Thus  driven  ignominiously  from  his  hoped-for  place  of 
refuge,  and  not  daring  to  return  openly  to  his  native  city, 
he  remained  in  the  desert  until  Zeid  should  procure  a 
secret  asylum  for  him  among  his  friends  in  Mecca.  In 
this  extremity,  he  had  one  of  those  visions  or  super- 
natural visitations  which  appear  always  to  have  occurred 

VOL.  I.— 8 


114  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

in  lonely  or  agitated  moments,  when  we  may  suppose 
him  to  have  been  in  a  state  of  mental  excitement.  It  was 
after  the  evening  prayer,  he  says,  in  a  solitary  place  in 
the  Valley  of  Naklah,  between  Mecca  and  Tayef.  He  was 
reading  the  Koran,  when  he  was  overheard  by  a  passing 
company  of  Gins  or  Genii.  These  are  spiritual  beings, 
some  good,  others  bad,  and  liable  like  man  to  future 
rewards  and  punishments.  "Hark!  give  ear!"  said  the 
Genii  one  to  the  other.  They  paused  and  listened  as  Ma- 
homet continued  to  read.  "  Verily,"  said  they  at  the  end, 
"  we  have  heard  an  admirable  discourse,  which  directeth 
unto  the  right  institution;  wherefore  we  believe  therein." 
This  spiritual  visitation  consoled  Mahomet  for  his  ex- 
pulsion from  Tayef,  showing  that  though  he  and  his  doc- 
trines might  be  rejected  by  men,  they  were  held  in  rev- 
erence by  spiritual  intelligences.  At  least  so  we  may 
infer  from  the  mention  he  makes  of  it  in  the  forty-sixth 
and  seventy-second  chapters  of  the  Koran.  Thence- 
forward, he  declared  himself  sent  for  the  conversion  of 
these  genii  as  well  as  of  the  human  race. 

Note.— The  belief  in  genii  was  prevalent  throughout  the  East,  long 
before  the  time  of  Mahomet.  They  were  supposed  to  haunt  solitary 
places,  particularly  toward  nightfall  ;  a  superstition  congenial  to  the 
habits  and  notions  of  the  inhabitants  of  lonely  and  desert  countries.  The 
Arabs  supposed  every  valley  and  barren  waste  to  have  its  tribe  of  genii, 
who  were  subject  to  a  dominant  spirit,  and  roamed  forth  at  night  to 
beset  the  pilgrim  and  the  traveller.  Whenever,  therefore,  they  entered  a 
lonely  valley  toward  the  close  of  evening,  they  used  to  supplicate  the  pre- 
siding spirit  or  lord  of  the  place,  to  protect  them  from  the  evil  genii 
under  his  command. 


VISITATION  OF  GENII.  115 

Those  columns  of  dust  raised  by  whirling  eddies  of  wind,  and  which 
sweep  across  the  desert,  are  supposed  to  be  caused  by  some  evil  genius  or 
sprite  of  gigantic  size. 

The  serpents  which  occasionally  infest  houses  were  thought  to  be  often 
genii,  some  infidels  and  some  believers.  Mahomet  cautioned  his  follow- 
ers to  be  slow  to  kill  a  house  serpent.  "  Warn  him  to  depart  ;  if  he  do 
not  obey,  then  kill  him,  for  it  is  a  sign  that  he  is  a  mere  reptile  or  an 
infidel  genius." 

It  is  fabled  that  in  earlier  times,  the  genii  had  admission  to  heaven, 
but  were  expelled  on  account  of  their  meddling  propensities.  They  have 
ever  since  been  of  a  curious  and  prying  nature,  often  attempting  to 
clamber  up  to  the  constellations  ;  thence  to  peep  into  heaven,  and  see 
and  overhear  what  is  going  on  there.  They  are,  however,  driven  thence 
by  angels  with  flaming  swords  ;  and  those  meteors  called  shooting  stars 
are  supposed  by  Mahometans  to  be  darted  by  the  guardian  angels  at  these 
intrusive  genii. 

Other  legends  pretend  that  the  earth  was  originally  peopled  by  these 
genii,  but  they  rebelled  against  the  Most  High,  and  usurped  terrestrial 
dominion,  which  they  maintained  for  two  thousand  years.  At  length, 
Azazil,  or  Lucifer,  was  sent  against  them  and  defeated  them,  overthrow- 
ing their  mighty  king,  Gian  ben  Gian,  the  founder  of  the  pyramids  ; 
whose  magic  buckler  of  talismanic  virtue  fell  subsequently  into  the  hands 
of  King  Solomon  the  Wise,  giving  him  power  over  the  spells  and  charms 
of  magicians  and  evil  genii.  The  rebel  spirits  defeated  and  humiliated, 
were  driven  into  an  obscure  corner  of  the  earth.  Then  it  was  that  God 
created  man,  with  less  dangerous  faculties  and  powers,  and  gave  him 
the  world  for  a  habitation. 

The  angels  according  to  Moslem  notions  were  created  from  bright 
gems  ;  the  genii  from  fire  without  smoke,  and  Adam  from  clay. 
°  Mahomet,  when  in  the  seventy-second  chapter  of  the  Koran,  he  alludes 
to  the  visitation  of  the  genii  in  the  Valley  of  Naklah,  makes  them  give 
the  following  frank  account  of  themselves. 

"  We  formerly  attempted  to  pry  into  what  was  transacting  in  heaven, 
but  we  found  the  same  guarded  by  angels  with  flaming  darts  ;  and  we  sat 
on  some  of  the  seats  thereof  to  hear  the  discourse  of  its  inhabitants  ;  but 
whoso  listeneth  now  finds  a  flame  prepared  to  guard  the  celestial  confines. 
There  are  some  among  us  who  are  Moslems,  and  there  are  others  who 
swerve  from  righteousness.  Whoso  embraceth  Islamism  seeketh  the  true 
direction  ;  but  those  who  swerve  from  righteousness  shall  be  fuel  for  the 
fire  of  Jehennain." 


CHAPTEE  Xn. 

NIGHT  JOURNEY  OF  THE  PROPHET  FROM  MECCA  TO  JERUSALEM  ;   AND  THEWCB 
TO  THE   SEVENTH  HEAVEN. 

IN  asylum  being  provided  for  Mahomet  in  the 
house  of  Mutem  Ibn  Adi,  one  of  his  disciples, 
he  ventured  to  return  to  Mecca.  The  super- 
natural visitation  of  genii  in  the  Valley  of  Naklah,  was 
soon  followed  by  a  vision  or  revelation  far  more  extra- 
ordinary, and  which  has  ever  since  remained  a  theme  of 
comment  and  conjecture  among  devout  Mahometans. 
We  allude  to  the  famous  night  journey  to  Jerusalem, 
and  thence  to  the  seventh  heaven.  The  particulars  of  it, 
though  given  as  if  in  the  very  words  of  Mahomet,  rest 
merely  on  tradition ;  some,  however,  cite  texts  corrobo- 
rative of  it,  scattered  here  and  there  in  the  Koran. 

We  do  not  pretend  to  give  this  vision  or  revelation  in 
its  amplitude  and  wild  extravagance,  but  will  endeavor  to 
seize  upon  its  most  essential  features. 

The  night  on  which  it  occurred,  is  described  as  one  of 
the  darkest  and  most  awfully  silent  that  had  ever  been 
known.  There  was  no  crowing  of  cocks  nor  barking  of 
dogs;  no  howling  of  wild  beasts  nor  hooting  of  owls, 

116 


THE  NOCTURNAL  JOURNEY.  117 

The  very  waters  ceased  to  murmur,  and  the  winds  to 
whistle  ;  all  nature  seemed  motionless  and  dead.  In  the 
mid  watches  of  the  night,  Mahomet  was  roused  by  a 
voice  crying,  "  Awake,  thou  sleeper  !  '5  The  angel  Gabriel 
stood  before  him.  His  forehead  was  clear  and  serene, 
his  complexion  white  as  snow,  his  hair  floated  on  his 
shoulders  ;  he  had  wings  of  many  dazzling  hues,  and  his 
robes  were  sown  with  pearls  and  embroidered  with  gold. 

He  brought  Mahomet  a  white  steed  of  wonderful  form 
and  qualities,  unlike  any  animal  he  had  ever  seen ;  and 
in  truth,  it  differs  from  any  animal  ever  before  described. 
It  had  a  human  face,  but  the  cheeks  of  a  horse  :  its  eyes 
were  as  jacinths  and  radiant  as  stars.  It  had  eagle's 
wings  all  glittering  with  rays  of  light;  and  its  whole 
form  was  resplendent  with  gems  and  precious  stones.  It 
was  a  female,  and  from  its  dazzling  splendor  and  incredi- 
ble velocity  was  called  Al  Borak,  or  Lightning. 

Mahomet  prepared  to  mount  this  supernatural  steed, 
but  as  he  extended  his  hand,  it  drew  back  and  reared. 

"  Be  still,  O  Borak ! "  said  Gabriel ;  "  respect  the 
prophet  of  God.  Never  wert  thou  mounted  by  mortal 
man  more  honored  of  Allah." 

"  O  Gabriel !  "  replied  Al  Borak,  who  at  this  time  was 
miraculously  endowed  with  speech  ;  "  did  not  Abraham 
of  old,  the  friend  of  God,  bestride  me  when  he  visited 
his  son  Ishmael  ?  O  Gabriel !  is  not  this  the  mediator, 
the  intercessor,  the  author  of  the  profession  of  faith  ?  " 

"  Even  so,  O  Borak,  this  is  Mahomet  Ibn  Abdallah,  of 


118  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

one  of  the  tribes  of  Arabia  the  Happy,  and  of  the  true 
faith.  He  is  chief  of  the  sons  of  Adam,  the  greatest  of 
the  divine  legates,  the  seal  of  the  prophets.  All  crea- 
tures must  have  his  intercession  before  they  can  enter 
paradise.  Heaven  is  on  his  right  hand,  to  be  the  reward 
of  those  who  believe  in  him ;  the  fire  of  Jehennam  is  on 
his  left  hand,  into  which  all  shall  be  thrust  who  oppose 
his  doctrines." 

"  0  Gabriel ! "  entreated  Al  Borak  ;  "  by  the  faith  ex- 
isting between  thee  and  him,  prevail  on  him  to  intercede 
for  me  at  the  day  of  the  resurrection." 

"Be  assured,  O  Borak!"  exclaimed  Mahomet,  "that 
through  my  intercession  thou  shalt  enter  paradise." 

No  sooner  had  he  uttered  these  words,  than  the  animal 
approached  and  submitted  to  be  mounted;  then  rising 
with  Mahomet  on  its  back,  it  soared  aloft  far  above  the 
mountains  of  Mecca. 

As  they  passed  like  lightning  between  heaven  and 
earth,  Gabriel  cried  aloud,  "  Stop,  O  Mahomet !  descend 
to  the  earth,  and  make  the  prayer  with  two  inflections  of 
the  body." 

They  alighted  on  the  earth,  and  having  made  the 
prayer — 

"O  friend  and  well  beloved  of  my  soul!"  said  Ma- 
homet; "why  dost  thou  command  me  to  pray  in  this 
place?" 

"  Because  it  is  Mount  Sinai,  on  which  God  communed 
with  Moses." 


THE  NOCTURNAL  JOURNEY,  119 

Mounting  aloft,  they  again  passed  rapidly  between 
heaven  and  earth,  until  Gabriel  called  out  a  second  time, 
"  Stop,  0  Mahomet !  descend,  and  make  the  prayer  with 
two  inflections." 

They  descended,  Mahomet  prayed,  and  again  de- 
manded, "  Why  didst  thou  command  me  to  pray  in  this 
place?" 

"Because  it  is  Bethlehem,  where  Jesus  the  Son  of 
Mary  was  born." 

They  resumed  their  course  through  the  air,  until  a 
voice  was  heard  on  the  right,  exclaiming,  "  O  Mahomet, 
tarry  a  moment,  that  I  may  speak  to  thee ;  of  all  created 
beings  I  am  most  devoted  to  thee." 

But  Borak  pressed  forward,  and  Mahomet  forbore  to 
tarry,  for  he  felt  that  it  was  not  with  him  to  stay  his 
course,  but' with  God  the  all-powerful  and  glorious. 

Another  voice  was  now  heard  on  the  left,  calling  on 
Mahomet  in  like  words  to  tarry  ;  but  Borak  still  pressed 
forward,  and  Mahomet  tarried  not.  He  now  beheld  be- 
fore him  a  damsel  of  ravishing  beauty,  adorned  with  all 
the  luxury  and  riches  of  the  earth.  She  beckoned  him 
with  alluring  smiles:  "Tarry  a  moment,  O  Mahomet, 
that  I  may  talk  with  thee.  I,  who,  of  all  beings,  am  the 
most  devoted  to  thee."  But  still  Borak  pressed  on,  and 
Mahomet  tarried  not;  considering  that  it  was  not  with 
him  to  stay  his  course,  but  with  God  the  all-powerful 
and  glorious. 

Addressing  himself,  however,  to  Gabriel,  "  What  voices 


120  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

are  those  I  have  heard  ?  "  said  he ;  "  and  what  damsel  it 
this  who  has  beckoned  to  me  ?  " 

"  The  first,  O  Mahomet,  was  the  voice  of  a  Jew ;  hadst 
thou  listened  to  him,  all  thy  nation  would  have  been  won 
to  Judaism. 

"  The  second  was  the  voice  of  a  Christian ;  hadst  thou 
listened  to  him,  thy  people  would  have  inclined  to  Chris- 
tianity. 

"The  damsel  was  the  world,  with  all  its  riches,  its 
vanities,  and  allurements ;  hadst  thou  listened  to  her, 
thy  nation  would  have  chosen  the  pleasures  of  this  life, 
rather  than  the  bliss  of  eternity,  and  all  would  have  been 
doomed  to  perdition." 

Continuing  their  aerial  course,  they  arrived  at  the  gate 
of  the  holy  temple  at  Jerusalem,  where,  alighting  from 
Al  Borak,  Mahomet  fastened  her  to  the  rings  where  the 
prophets  before  him  had  fastened  her.  Then  entering 
the  temple,  he  found  there  Abraham,  and  Moses,  and  Isa 
(Jesus),  and  many  more  of  the  prophets.  After  he  had 
prayed  in  company  with  them  for  a  time,  a  ladder  of 
light  was  let  down  from  heaven,  until  the  lower  end 
rested  on  the  Shakra,  or  foundation-stone  of  the  sacred 
house,  being  the  stone  of  Jacob.  Aided  by  the  angel 
Gabriel,  Mahomet  ascended  this  ladder  with  the  rapidity 
of  lightning, 

Being  arrived  at  the  first  heaven,  Gabriel  knocked  at 
the  gate.  "  Who  is  there  ?  "  was  demanded  from  within. 
"  Gabriel."     "  Who  is  with  thee  ?  "    "  Mahomet."     "  Has 


TEE  NOCTURNAL  JOURNEY.  121 

he  received  his  mission?"  "He  has."  "Then  he  is 
welcome !  "  and  the  gate  was  opened. 

The  first  heaven  was  of  pure  silver,  and  in  its  resplen- 
dent vault  the  stars  are  suspended  by  chains  of  gold.  In 
each  star  an  angel  is  placed  sentinel,  to  prevent  the  de- 
mons from  scaling  the  sacred  abodes.  As  Mahomet  en- 
tered, an  ancient  man  approached  him,  and  Gabriel  said, 
"  Here  is  thy  father  Adam,  pay  him  reverence."  Ma- 
homet did  so,  and  Adam  embraced  him,  calling  him  the 
greatest  among  his  children,  and  the  first  among  the 
prophets. 

In  this  heaven  were  innumerable  animals  of  all  kinds, 
which  Gabriel  said  were  angels,  who,  under  these  forms, 
interceded  with  Allah  for  the  various  races  of  animals 
upon  earth.  Among  these  was  a  cock  of  dazzling  white- 
ness, and  of  such  marvelous  height,  that  his  crest 
touched  the  second  heaven,  though  five  hundred  years' 
journey  above  the  first.  This  wonderful  bird  saluted  the 
ear  of  Allah  each  morning  with  his  melodious  chant.  All 
creatures  on  earth,  save  man,  are  awakened  by  his  voice, 
and  all  the  fowls  of  his  kind  chant  hallelujahs  in  emula- 
tion of  his  note.* 

*  There  are  three  to  which,  say  the  Moslem  doctors,  God  always  lends 
a  willing  ear :  the  voice  of  him  who  reads  the  Koran ;  of  him  who  prays 
for  pardon ;  and  of  this  cock  who  crows  to  the  glory  of  the  Most  High. 
When  the  last  day  is  near,  they  add,  Allah  will  bid  this  bird  to  close  his 
wings  and  chant  no  more.  Then  all  the  cocks  on  earth  will  cease  to  crow, 
and  their  silence  will  be  a  sign  that  the  great  day  of  judgment  is  im. 
pending. 

The  Reverend  Dr.  Humphrey  Prideaux,  Dean  of  Norwich,  in  his  Life 


122  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

They  now  ascended  to  the  second  heaven.  Gabriel,  as 
before,  knocked  at  the  gate ;  the  same  questions  and  re- 
plies were  exchanged  ;  the  door  opened  and  they  entered. 

This  heaven  was  all  of  polished  steel,  and  dazzling 
splendor.  Here  they  found  Noah  :  who,  embracing  Ma- 
homet, hailed  him  as  the  greatest  among  the  prophets. 

Arrived  at  the  third  heaven,  they  entered  with  the 
same  ceremonies.  It  was  all  studded  with  precious 
stones,  'and  too  brilliant  for  mortal  eyes.  Here  was 
seated  an  angel  of  immeasurable  height,  whose  eyes  were 
seventy  thousand  days'  journey  apart.  He  had  at  his 
command  a  hundred  thousand  battalions  of  armed  men. 
Before  him  was  spread  a  vast  book,  in  which  he  was  con- 
tinually writing  and  blotting  out. 

"This,  O  Mahomet,"  said  Gabriel,  "is  Asrael,  the 
angel  of  death,  who  is  in  the  confidence  of  Allah.  In  the 
book  before  him  he  is  continually  writing  the  names  of 
those  who  are  to  be  born,  and  blotting  out  the  names  of 
those  who  have  lived  their  allotted  time,  and  who,  there- 
fore, instantly  die." 

They  now  mounted  to  the  fourth  heaven,  formed  of  the 

of  Mahomet,  accuses  him  of  having  stolen  this  wonderful  cock  from  the 
tract  Bava  Bart  ha  of  the  Babylonish  Talmud,  "  wherein,"  says  he,  "we 
have  a  story  of  such  a  prodigious  bird,  called  Zig,  which,  standing  with 
his  feet  on  the  earth,  reacheth  up  to  the  heavens  with  his  head,  and  with 
the  spreading  of  his  wings,  darkeneth  the  whole  orb  of  the  sun,  and  caus- 
eth  a  total  eclipse  thereof.  This  bird  the  Chaldee  paraphrast  on  the 
Psalms  says  is  a  cock,  and  that  he  crows  before  the  Lord ;  and  the  Chal- 
dee paraphrast  on  Job  tells  us  of  his  crowing  every  morning  before  the 
Lord,  and  that  God  giveth  him  wisdom  for  that  purpose." 


THE  NOCTURNAL  JOURNEY.  123 

finest  silver.  Among  the  angels  who  inhabited  it  was  one 
five  hundred  days'  journey  in  height.  His  countenance 
was  troubled,  and  rivers  of  tears  ran  from  his  eyes. 
"  This,"  said  Gabriel,  "  is  the  angel  of  tears,  appointed 
to  weep  over  the  children  of  men,  and  to  predict  the 
evils  which  await  them." 

The  fifth  heaven  was  of  the  finest  gold.  Here  Mahomet 
was  received  by  Aaron  with  embraces  and  congratula- 
tions. The  avenging  angel  dwells  in  this  heaven,  and 
presides  over  the  element  of  fire.  Of  all  the  angels  seen 
by  Mahomet,  he  was  the  most  hideous  and  terrific.  His 
visage  seemed  of  copper,  and  was  covered  with  wens  and 
warts.  His  eyes  flashed  lightning,  and  he  grasped  a 
flaming  lance.  He  sat  on  a  throne  surrounded  by  flames, 
and  before  him  was  a  heap  of  red-hot  chains.  Were  he 
to  alight  upon  earth  in  his  true  form,  the  mountains 
would  be  consumed,  the  seas  dried  up,  and  all  the  inhab- 
itants would  die  with  terror.  To  him,  and  the  angels  his 
ministers,  is  intrusted  the  execution  of  divine  vengeance 
on  infidels  and  sinners. 

Leaving  this  awful  abode,  they  mounted  to  the  sixth 
heaven,  composed  of  a  transparent  stone,  called  Hasala, 
which  may  be  rendered  carbuncle.  Here  was  a  great 
angel,  composed  half  of  snow  and  half  of  fire ;  yet  the 
snow  melted  not,  nor  was  the  fire  extinguished.  Around 
him  a  choir  of  lesser  angels  continually  exclaimed,  "  O 
Alia !  who  hast  united  snow  and  fire,  unite  all  thy  faith- 
ful servants  in  obedience  to  thy  law." 


i-24  MAHOMET  AMD  BIS    5 

"  This,  said  Gabriel,  "is  the  guardian  angel  of  heayen 
and  earth.  It  is  he  who  despatches  angels  unto  individ- 
uals of  thy  nation,  to  incline  them  in  favor  of  thy  mission, 
and  call  them  to  the  service  of  God ;  and  he  will  continue 
to  do  so  until  the  day  of  resurrection." 

Here  was  the  prophet  Musa  31  c  aea  ,  who,  however, 
instead  of  welcoming  Mahomet  with  joy,  as  the  other 
prophets  had  done,  shed  tears  at  sight  of  him. 

•'  Wherefore  dost  thou  weep?"  inquired  Mahomet 
H  Because  I  behold  a  successor,  who  is  destined  to  con- 
duct more  of  his  nation  into  paradise  than  ever  I  could 
of  the  backsliding  children  of  Israel."' 

Mounting  hence  to  the  seventh  heaven,  Mahomet  was 
received  by  the  patriarch  Abraham.  This  blissful  abode 
is  formed  of  divine  light,  and  of  such  transcendent  glory 
that  the  tongue  of  man  cannot  describe  it.  One  of  its 
-:ial  inhabitants  will  suffice  to  give  an  idea  of  the 
-  -  He  surpassed  the  whole  earth  in  magnitude,  and 
had  seventy  thousand  heads  ;  each  head  seventy  thousand 
mouths  ;  each  mouth  seventy  thousand  tongues  ;  each 
.  -  ke  seventy  thousand  different  languages,  and 
all  these  were  incessantly  employed  in  chanting  the 
praises  of  the  Most  High. 

While  contemplating  this  wonderful  being,  Mahomet 
was  suddenly  transported  aloft  to  the  lotus-tree,  called 
9  fa  at,  which  flourishes  on  the  right  hand  of  the  invisi- 
ble throne  of  Allah.  The  branches  of  this  tree  extend 
wider  than  the  distance  between  the  sun  and  the  earth. 


THE  XOCTURXAL   JOUUNBT.  125 

Angels  more  numerous  tliau  the  sands  of  the  sea-shore, 
or  of  the  beds  of  all  the  streams  and  rivers,  rejoice  be- 
neath its  shade.  The  leaves  resemble  the  ears  of  an 
elephant ;  thousands  of  immortal  birds  sport  among  its 
branches,  repeating  the  sublime  verses  of  the  Koran.  Its 
fruits  are  milder  than  milk  and  sweeter  than  honey.  If 
all  the  creatures  of  God  were  assembled,  one  of  these 
fruits  would  be  sufficient  for  their  sustenance.  Each 
seed  incloses  an  houri,  or  celestial  virgin,  provided  for 
the  felicity  of  true  believers.  From  this  tree  issue  four 
rivers ;  two  flow  into  the  interior  of  paradise,  two  issue 
beyond  it,  and  become  the  Xile  and  Euphrates. 

Mahomet  and  his  celestial  guide  now  proceeded  to  Al 
Mainour,  or  the  House  of  Adoration ;  formed  of  red  ja- 
cinths or  rubies,  and  surrounded  by  innumerable  lamps, 
perpetually  burning.  As  Mahomet  entered  the  portal, 
three  vases  were  offered  him,  one  containing  wine, 
another  milk,  and  the  third,  honey.  He  took  and  drank 
of  the  vase  containing  milk. 

"  "Well  hast  thou  done ;  auspicious  is  thy  choice,"  ex- 
claimed Gabriel.  "Hadst  thou  drunk  of  the  wine,  thy 
people  had  all  gone  astray." 

The  sacred  house  resembles  in  form  the  Caaba  at 
Mecca,  and  is  perpendicularly  above  it  in  the  seventh 
heaven.  It  is  visited  every  day  by  seventy  thousand 
angels  of  the  highest  order.  They  were  at  this  very  time 
making  their  holy  circuit,  and  Mahomet,  joining  with 
them,  walked  round  it  seven  times. 


126  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

Gabriel  could  go  no  further.  Mahomet  now  traversed, 
quicker  than  thought,  an  immense  space  ;  passing 
through  two  regions  of  dazzling  light,  and  one  of  pro- 
found darkness.  Emerging  from  this  utter  gloom,  he 
was  filled  with  awe  and  terror  at  finding  himself  in  the 
presence  of  Allah,  and  but  two  bow-shots  from  his 
throne.  The  face  of  the  Deity  was  covered  with  twenty 
thousand  veils,  for  it  would  have  annihilated  man  to  look 
upon  its  glory.  He  put  forth  his  hands,  and  placed  one 
upon  the  breast  and  the  other  upon  the  shoulder  of 
Mahomet,  who  felt  a  freezing  chill  penetrate  to  his  heart 
and  to  the  very  marrow  of  his  bones.  It  was  followed  by 
a  feeling  of  ecstatic  bliss,  while  a  sweetness  and  fragrance 
prevailed  around,  which  none  can  understand,  but  those 
who  have  been  in  the  divine  presence. 

Mahomet  now  received  from  the  Deity  himself,  many 
of  the  doctrines  contained  in  the  Koran ;  and  fifty  pray- 
ers were  prescribed  as  the  daily  duty  of  all  true  be- 
lievers. 

When  he  descended  from  the  divine  presence  and 
again  met  with  Moses,  the  latter  demanded  what  Allah 
had  required.  "  That  I  should  make  fifty  prayers  every 
day." 

"And  thinkest  thou  to  accomplish  such  a  task?  I 
have  made  the  experiment  before  thee.  I  tried  it  with 
the  children  of  Israel,  but  in  vain ;  return,  then,  and  beg 
a  diminution  of  the  task." 

Mahomet  returned  accordingly,  and  obtained  a  diminu- 


THE  NOCTURNAL  JOURNEY.  127 

tion  of  ten  prayers ;  but  when  he  related  his  success  to 
Moses,  the  latter  made  the  same  objection  to  the  daily 
amount  of  forty.  By  his  advice  Mahomet  returned  re- 
peatedly, until  the  number  was  reduced  to  five. 

Moses  still  objected.  "Thinkest  thou  to  exact  five 
prayers  daily  from  thy  people  ?  By  Allah !  I  have  had 
experience  with  the  children  of  Israel,  and  such  a  de- 
mand is  vain ;  return,  therefore,  and  entreat  still  further 
mitigation  of  the  task." 

"  No,"  replied  Mahomet,  "  I  have  already  asked  indul- 
gence until  I  am  ashamed."  With  these  words  he  saluted 
Moses  and  departed. 

By  the  ladder  of  light  he  descended  to  the  temple  of 
Jerusalem,  where  he  found  Borak  fastened  as  he  had  left 
her,  and  mounting,  was  borne  back  in  an  instant  to  the 
place  whence  he  had  first  been  taken. 

This  account  of  the  vision,  or  nocturnal  journey,  is 
chiefly  according  to  the  words  of  the  historians  Abulfeda, 
Al  Bokhari,  and  Abu  Horeira,  and  is  given  more  at  large 
in  the  "Life  of  Mahomet,"  by  Gagnier.  The  journey 
itself  has  given  rise  to  endless  commentaries  and  dis- 
putes among  the  doctors.  Some  affirm  that  it  was  no 
more  than  a  dream  or  vision  of  the  night ;  and  support 
their  assertion  by  a  tradition  derived  from  Ayesha,  the 
wife  of  Mahomet,  who  declared  that,  on  the  night  in 
question,  his  body  remained  perfectly  still,  and  it  was 
only  in  spirit  that  he  made  his  nocturnal  journey.  In 
giving  this  tradition,  however,  they  did  not  consider  that 


128  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

at  the  time  the  journey  was  said  to  have  taken  place, 
Ayesha  was  still  a  child,  and,  though  espoused,  had  not 
become  the  wife  of  Mahomet. 

Others  insist  that  he  made  the  celestial  journey  bodily, 
and  that  the  whole  was  miraculously  effected  in  so  short 
a  space  of  time,  that,  on  his  return,  he  was  able  to  pre- 
vent the  complete  overturn  of  a  vase  of  water,  which  the 
angel  Gabriel  had  struck  with  his  wing  on  his  departure. 

Others  say  that  Mahomet  only  pretended  to  have  made 
the  nocturnal  journey  to  the  temple  of  Jerusalem,  and 
that  the  subsequent  ascent  to  heaven  was  a  vision.  Ac- 
cording to  Ahmed  ben  Joseph,  the  nocturnal  visit  to  the 
temple  was  testified  by  the  patriarch  of  Jerusalem  him- 
self. "  At  the  time,"  says  he,  "  that  Mahomet  sent  an 
envoy  to  the  Emperor  Heraclius,  at  Constantinople,  in- 
viting him  to  embrace  Islamism,  the  patriarch  was  in 
the  presence  of  the  emperor.  The  envoy  having  related 
the  nocturnal  journey  of  the  prophet,  the  patriarch  was 
seized  with  astonishment,  and  informed  the  emperor  of  a 
circumstance  coinciding  with  the  narrative  of  the  envoy. 
'It  is  my  custom,'  said  he,  'never  to  retire  to  rest  at 
night  until  I  have  fastened  every  door  of  the  temple.  On 
the  night  here  mentioned,  I  closed  them  according  to  my 
custom,  but  there  was  one  which  it  was  impossible  to 
move.  Upon  this,  I  sent  for  the  carpenters,  who,  having 
inspected  the  door,  declared  that  the  lintel  over  the  por- 
tal, and  the  edifice  itself,  had  settled  to  such  a  degree, 
that  it  was  out  of  their  power  to  close  the  door.     I  was 


THE  NOCTURNAL  JOURNEY.  129 

obliged,  therefore,  to  leave  it  open.  Early  in  the  morn- 
ing, at  the  break  of  day,  I  repaired  thither,  and  behold, 
the  stone  placed  at  the  corner  of  the  temple  was  per- 
forated, and  there  were  vestiges  of  the  place  where  Al 
Borak  had  been  fastened.  Then,  said  I,  to  those  present, 
this  portal  would  not  have  remained  fixed  unless  some 
prophet  had  been  here  to  pray.'  " 

Traditions  go  on  to  say,  that  when  Mahomet  narrated 
his  nocturnal  journey  to  a  large  assembly  in  Mecca,  many 
marveled  yet  believed,  some  were  perplexed  with  doubt, 
but  the  Koreishites  laughed  it  to  scorn.  "Thou  sayest 
that  thou  hast  been  to  the  temple  of  Jerusalem,"  said 
Abu  Jahl ;  "  prove  the  truth  of  thy  words,  by  giving  a 
description  of  it." 

For  a  moment  Mahomet  was  embarrassed  by  the  de- 
mand, for  he  had  visited  the  temple  in  the  night,  when 
its  form  was  not  discernible ;  suddenly,  however,  the 
angel  Gabriel  stood  by  his  side,  and  placed  before  his 
eyes  an  exact  type  of  the  sacred  edifice,  so  that  he  was 
enabled  instantly  to  answer  the  most  minute  questions. 

The  story  still  transcended  the  belief  even  of  some  of 
his  disciples,  until  Abu  Beker,  seeing  them  wavering 
in  their  faith,  and  in  danger  of  backsliding,  roundly 
vouched  for  the  truth  of  it;  in  reward  for  which  support, 
Mahomet  gave  him  the  title  of  Al  Seddek,  or  the  Testis 
fier  to  the  Truth,  by  which  he  was  thenceforth  distin- 
guished. 

As  we  have  already  observed,  this  nocturnal  journey 
vol.  l— 9 


130  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

rests  almost  entirely  upon  tradition,  though  some  of  its 
circumstances  are  vaguely  alluded  to  in  the  Koran.  The 
whole  may  be  a  fanciful  superstructure  of  Moslem  fa- 
natics on  one  of  these  visions  or  ecstasies  to  which  Ma- 
homet was  prone,  and  the  relations  of  which  caused  him 
to  be  stigmatized  by  the  Koreishites  as  a  madman. 


CHAPTEK  XIII. 


MAHOMET  MAKES  CONVERTS  OP  PILGRIMS  FROM  MEDINA. — DETERMINES  T© 
FLY  TO  THAT  CITY.— A  PLOT  TO  SLAY  HIM.— HIS  MIRACULOUS  ESCAPE. — 
HIS  HEGIRA,   OR  FLIGHT. — HIS  RECEPTION   AT  MEDINA. 


HE  fortunes  of  Mahomet  were  becoming  darker 
and  darker  in  his  native  place.  Cadijah,  his 
original  benefactress,  the  devoted  companion 
of  his  solitude  and  seclusion,  the  zealous  believer  in  his 
doctrines,  was  in  her  grave  :  so  also  was  Abu  Taleb,  once 
his  faithful  and  efficient  protector.  Deprived  of  the  shel- 
tering influence  of  the  latter,  Mahomet  had  become,  in  a 
manner,  an  outlaw  in  Mecca  ;  obliged  to  conceal  himself, 
and  remain  a  burthen  on  the  hospitality  of  those  whom 
his  own  doctrines  had  involved  in  persecution.  If 
worldly  advantage  had  been  his  object,  how  had  it  been 
attained  ?  Upwards  of  ten  years  had  elapsed  since  first 
he  announced  his  prophetic  mission ;  ten  long  years  of 
enmity,  trouble,  and  misfortune.  Still  he  persevered, 
and  now,  at  a  period  of  life  when  men  seek  to  enjoy  in 
repose  the  fruition  of  the  past,  rather  than  risk  all  in 
new  schemes  for  the  future,  we  find  him,  after  having 
sacrificed   ease,  fortune,  and  friends,  prepared  to   give 

131 


132  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

up  home  and  country  also,  rather  than  his  religious 
creed. 

As  soon  as  the  privileged  time  of  pilgrimage  arrived, 
he  emerged  once  more  from  his  concealment,  and  min- 
gled with  the  multitude  assembled  from  all  parts  of 
Arabia.  His  earnest  desire  was  to  find  some  powerful 
tribe,  or  the  inhabitants  of  some  important  city,  capable 
and  willing  to  receive  him  as  a  guest,  and  protect  him  in 
the  enjoyment  and  propagation  of  his  faith. 

His  quest  was  for  a  time  unsuccessful.  Those  who 
had  come  to  worship  at  the  Caaba,  drew  back  from  a 
man  stigmatized  as  an  apostate ;  and  the  worldly-minded 
were  unwilling  to  befriend  one  proscribed  by  the  power- 
ful of  his  native  place. 

At  length,  as  he  was  one  day  preaching  on  the  hill 
Al  Akaba,  a  little  to  the  north  of  Mecca,  he  drew  the 
attention  of  certain  pilgrims  from  the  city  of  Tathreb. 
This  city,  since  called  Medina,  was  about  two  hundred 
and  seventy  miles  north  of  Mecca.  Many  of  its  inhab- 
itants were  Jews  and  heretical  Christians.  The  pilgrims 
in  question  were  pure  Arabs  of  the  ancient  and  powerful 
tribe  of  Khazradites,  and  in  habits  of  friendly  inter- 
course with  the  Keneedites  and  Naderites,  two  Jewish 
tribes  inhabiting  Mecca,  who  claimed  to  be  of  the  sacer- 
dotal line  of  Aaron.  The  pilgrims  had  often  heard  theii 
Jewish  friends  explain  the  mysteries  of  their  faith,  and 
talk  of  an  expected  Messiah.  They  were  moved  by  the 
eloquence  of  Mahomet,  and  struck  with  the  resemblance 


PROSELYTES  FROM  MEDINA.  133 

of  his  doctrines  to  those  of  the  Jewish  law  insomuch 
that  when  they  heard  him  proclaim  himself  a  prophet, 
sent  by  Heaven  to  restore  the  ancient  faith,  they  said, 
one  to  another,  "  Surely  this  must  be  the  promised  Mes- 
siah of  which  we  have  been  told."  The  more  they  lis- 
tened, the  stronger  became  their  persuasion  of  the  fact, 
until  in  the  end  they  avowed  their  conviction,  and  made 
a  final  profession  of  the  faith. 

As  the  Khazradites  belonged  to  one  of  the  most  pow- 
erful tribes  of  Yathreb,  Mahomet  sought  to  secure  their 
protection,  and  proposed  to  accompany  them  on  their 
return ;  but  they  informed  him  that  they  were  at  deadly 
feud  with  the  Awsites,  another  powerful  tribe  of  that 
city,  and  advised  him  to  defer  his  coming  until  they 
should  be  at  peace.  He  consented  ;  but  on  the  return 
home  of  the  pilgrims,  he  sent  with  them  Musab  Ibn 
Omeir,  one  of  the  most  learned  and  able  of  his  disciples, 
with  instructions  to  strengthen  them  in  the  faith,  and  to 
preach  it  to  their  townsmen.  Thus  were  the  seeds  of 
Islamism  first  sown  in  the  city  of  Medina.  For  a  time 
they  thrived  but  slowly.  Musab  was  opposed  by  the 
idolaters,  and  his  life  threatened  ;  but  he  persisted  in  his 
exertions,  and  gradually  made  converts  among  the  prin- 
cipal inhabitants.  Among  these  were  Saad  Ibn  Maads, 
0,  prince  or  chief  of  the  Awsites  ;  and  Osaid  Ibn  Hodheir, 
a  man  of  great  authority  in  the  city.  Numbers  of  the 
Moslems  of  Mecca,  also,  driven  away  by  persecution, 
took  refuge  in  Medina,  and  aided  in  propagating  the  new 


134  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

faith  among  its  inhabitants,  until  it  found  its  way  into 
almost  every  household. 

Feeling  now  assured  of  being  able  to  give  Mahomet  an 
asylum  in  the  city,  upwards  of  seventy  of  the  converts  of 
Medina,  led  by  Musab  Ibn  Omeir,  repaired  to  Mecca 
with  the  pilgrims  in  the  holy  month  of  the  thirteenth 
year  of  "the  mission,"  to  invite  him  to  take  up  his  abode 
in  their  city.  Mahomet  gave  them  a  midnight  meeting 
on  the  hill  Al  Akaba.  His  uncle  Al  Abbas,  who,  like 
the  deceased  Abu  Taleb,  took  an  affectionate  interest  in 
his  welfare,  though  no  convert  to  his  doctrines,  accom- 
panied him  to  this  secret  conference,  which  he  feared 
might  lead  him  into  danger.  He  entreated  the  pilgrims 
from  Medina  not  to  entice  his  nephew  to  their  city  until 
more  able  to  protect  him  :  warning  them  that  their  open 
adoption  of  the  new  faith  would  bring  all  Arabia  in  arms 
against  them.  His  warnings  and  entreaties  were  in  vain : 
a  solemn  compact  was  made  between  the  parties.  Ma- 
homet demanded  that  they  should  abjure  idolatry,  and 
worship  the  one  true  God  openly  and  fearlessly.  For 
himself  he  exacted  obedience  in  weal  and  woe ;  and  for 
the  disciples  who  might  accompany  him,  protection ; 
even  such  as  they  would  render  to  their  own  wives  and 
children.  On  these  terms  he  offered  to  bind  himself  to 
remain  among  them,  to  be  the  friend  of  their  friends,  the 
enemy  of  their  enemies.  "  But,  should  we  perish  in 
your  cause,"  asked  they,  "  what  will  be  our  reward  ? " 
"  Paradise  ! "  replied  the  prophet. 


COMPACT  WITH  THE  EMISSARIES.  135 

The  terms  were  accepted ;  the  emissaries  from  Medina 
placed  their  hands  in  the  hands  of  Mahomet,  and  swore 
to  abide  by  the  compact.  The  latter  then  singled  out 
twelve  from  among  them,  whom  he  designated  as  his 
apostles ;  in  imitation,  it  is  supposed,  of  the  example  of 
our  Saviour.  Just  then  a  voice  was  heard  from  the  sum- 
mit of  the  hill,  denouncing  them  as  apostates,  and  men- 
acing them  with  punishment.  The  sound  of  this  voice, 
heard  in  the  darkness  of  the  night,  inspired  temporary 
dismay.  "  It  is  the  voice  of  the  fiend  Iblis,"  said  Ma- 
homet, scornfully ;  "he  is  the  foe  of  God :  fear  him  not." 
It  was  probably  the  voice  of  some  spy  or  eavesdropper 
of  the  Koreishites  ;  for  the  very  next  morning  they  mani- 
fested a  knowledge  of  what  had  taken  place  in  the  night ; 
and  treated  the  new  confederates  with  great  harshness  as 
they  were  departing  from  the  city. 

It  was  this  early  accession  to  the  faith,  and  this  timely 
aid  proffered  and  subsequently  afforded  to  Mahomet  and 
his  disciples,  which  procured  for  the  Moslems  of  Medina 
the  appellation  of  Ansarians,  or  auxiliaries,  by  which 
they  were  afterwards  distinguished. 

After  the  departure  of  the  Ansarians,  and  the  expira- 
tion of  the  holy  month,  the  persecutions  of  the  Moslems 
were  resumed  with  increased  virulence,  insomuch  that 
Mahomet,  seeing  a  crisis  was  at  hand,  and  being  resolved 
to  leave  the  city,  advised  his  adherents  generally  to  pro- 
vide for  their  safety.  For  himself,  he  still  lingered  .in 
Mecca  with  a  few  devoted  followers. 


136  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

Abu  Sofian,  his  implacable  foe,  was  at  this  time  gov- 
ernor of  the  city.  He  was  both  incensed  and  alarmed  at 
the  spreading  growth  of  the  new  faith,  and  held  a  meet- 
ing of  the  chief  of  the  Koreishites  to  devise  some  means 
of  effectually  putting  a  stop  to  it.  Some  advised  that 
Mahomet  should  be  banished  the  city ;  but  it  was  ob- 
jected that  he  might  gain  other  tribes  to  his  interest,  or 
perhaps  the  people  of  Medina,  and  return  at  their  head 
to  take  his  revenge.  Others  proposed  to  wall  him  up  in 
a  dungeon,  and  supply  him  with  food  until  he  died ;  but 
it  was  surmised  that  his  friends  might  effect  his  escape. 
All  these  objections  were  raised  by  a  violent  and  prag- 
matical old  man,  a  stranger  from  the  province  of  Nedja, 
who,  say  the  Moslem  writers,  was  no  other  than  the  devil 
in  disguise,  breathing  his  malignant  spirit  into  those 
present.  At  length  it  was  declared  by  Abu  JahL  that 
the  only  effectual  check  on  the  growing  evil  was  to  put 
Mahomet  to  death.  To  this  all  agreed,  and  as  a  means 
of  sharing  the  odium  of  the  deed,  and  withstanding  the 
vengeance  it  might  awaken  among  the  relatives  of  the 
victim,  it  was  arranged  that  a  member  of  each  family 
should  plunge  his  sword  into  the  body  of  Mahomet. 

It  is  to  this  conspiracy  that  allusion  is  made  in  the 
eighth  chapter  of  the  Koran.  "  And  call  to  mind  how 
the  unbelievers  plotted  against  thee,  that  they  might 
either  detain  thee  in  bonds,  or  put  thee  to  death,  or  ex- 
pel thee  the  city  ;  but  God  laid  a  plot  against  them  ;  and 
God  is  the  best  layer  of  plots." 


A  PLOT  FRUSTRATED.  137 

In  fact,  by  the  time  the  murderers  arrived  before  the 
dwelling  of  Mahomet,  he  was  apprised  of  the  impending 
danger.  As  usual,  the  warning  is  attributed  to  the  angel 
Gabriel,  but  it  is  probable  it  was  given  by  some  Koreish- 
ite,  less  bloody-minded  than  his  confederates.  It  came 
just  in  time  to  save  Mahomet  from  the  hands  of  his  ene- 
mies. They  paused  at  his  door,  but  hesitated  to  enter. 
Looking  through  a  crevice  they  beheld,  as  they  thought, 
Mahomet  wrapped  in  his  green  mantle,  and  lying  asleep 
on  his  couch.  They  waited  for  a  while,  consulting 
whether  to  fall  on  him  while  sleeping,  or  wait  until  he 
should  go  forth.  At  length  they  burst  open  the  door  and 
rushed  toward  the  couch.  The  sleeper  started  up ;  but, 
instead  of  Mahomet,  Ali  stood  before  them.  Amazed 
and  confounded,  they  demanded,  "  Where  is  Mahomet  ?  " 
"  I  know  not,"  replied  Ali,  sternly,  and  walked  forth ;  nor 
did  any  one  venture  to  molest  him.  Enraged  at  the  es- 
cape of  their  victim,  however,  the  Koreishites  proclaimed 
a  reward  of  a  hundred  camels  to  any  one  who  should 
bring  them  Mahomet  alive  or  dead. 

Divers  accounts  are  given  of  the  mode  in  which  Ma- 
homet made  his  escape  from  the  house  after  the  faithful 
Ali  had  wrapped  himself  in  his  mantle  and  taken  his 
place  upon  the  couch.  The  most  miraculous  account  is, 
that  he  opened  the  door  silently,  as  the  Koreishites  stood 
before  it,  and,  scattering  a  handful  of  dust  in  the  air, 
cast  such  blindness  upon  them,  that  he  walked  through 
the  midst  of  them  without  being  perceived.     This,  it  is 


138  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

added,  is  confirmed  by  the  verse  of  the  30th  chapter  of 
the  Koran  :  "  We  have  thrown  blindness  upon  them,  that 
they  shall  not  see." 

The  most  probable  account  is,  that  he  clambered  over 
the  wall  in  the  rear  of  the  house,  by  the  help  of  a  ser- 
vant, who  bent  his  back  for  him  to  step  upon  it. 

He  repaired  immediately  to  the  house  of  Abu  Beker, 
and  they  arranged  for  instant  flight.  It  was  agreed  that 
they  should  take  refuge  in  a  cave  in  Mount  Thor,  about 
an  hour's  distance  from  Mecca,  and  wait  there  until  they 
could  proceed  safely  to  Medina :  and  in  the  meantime  the 
children  of  Abu  Beker  should  secretly  bring  them  food. 
They  left  Mecca  while  it  was  yet  dark,  making  their  way 
on  foot  by  the  light  of  the  stars,  and  the  day  dawned  as 
they  found  themselves  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Thor.  Scarce 
were  they  within  the  cave,  when  they  heard  the  sound  of 
pursuit.  Abu  Beker,  though  a  brave  man,  quaked  with 
fear.  "  Our  pursuers,"  said  he,  "  are  many,  and  we  are 
but  two."  "Nay,"  replied  Mahomet,  "  there  is  a  third; 
God  is  with  us  !  "  And  here  the  Moslem  writers  relate  a 
miracle,  dear  to  the  minds  of  all  true  believers.  By  the 
time,  say  they,  that  the  Koreishites  reached  the  mouth 
of  the  cavern,  an  acacia-tree  had  sprung  up  before  it,  in 
the  spreading  branches  of  which  a  pigeon  had  made  its 
nest,  and  laid  its  eggs,  and  over  the  whole  a  spider  had 
woven  its  web.  When  the  Koreishites  beheld  these 
signs  of  undisturbed  quiet,  they  concluded  that  no 
one   could  recently  have  entered  the  cavern;    so  thejr 


THE  HEGIBA.  139 

Surned  away,  and  pursued  their  search  in  another  direc- 
tion. 

Whether  protected  by  miracle  or  not,  the  fugitives  re- 
mained for  three  days  undiscovered  in  the  cave,  and 
Asama,  the  daughter  of  Abu  Beker,  brought  them  food  in 
the  dusk  of  the  evenings. 

On  the  fourth  day,  when  they  presumed  the  ardor  of 
pursuit  had  abated,  the  fugitives  ventured  forth,  and  set 
out  for  Medina,  on  camels  which  a  servant  of  Abu  Beker 
had  brought  in  the  night  for  them.  Avoiding  the  main 
road  usually  taken  by  the  caravans,  they  bent  their  course 
nearer  to  the  coast  of  the  Bed  Sea.  They  had  not  pro- 
ceeded far,  however,  before  they  were  overtaken  by  a 
troop  of  horse,  headed  by  Soraka  Ibn  Malec.  Abu 
Beker  was  again  dismayed  by  the  number  of  their  pur- 
suers; but  Mahomet  repeated  the  assurance,  "Be  not 
troubled ;  Allah  is  with  us."  Soraka  was  a  grim  warrior, 
with  shagged  iron-gray  locks,  and  naked  sinewy  arms 
rough  with  hair.  As  he  overtook  Mahomet,  his  horse 
reared  and  fell  with  him.  His  superstitious  mind  was 
struck  with  it  as  an  evil  sign.  Mahomet  perceived  the 
state  of  his  feelings,  and  by  an  eloquent  appeal  wrought 
upon  him  to  such  a  degree,  that  Soraka,  filled  with  awe, 
entreated  his  forgiveness;  and  turning  back  with  his 
troop,  suffered  him  to  proceed  on  his  way  unmolested. 

The  fugitives  continued  their  journey  without  furthei 
interruption,  until  they  arrived  at  Koba,  a  hill  about  two 
miles  from  Medina.     It  was  a  favorite  resort  of  the  in- 


140  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

habitants  of  the  city,  and  a  place  to  which  they  sent  their 
sick  and  infirm,  for  the  air  was  pure  and  salubrious. 
Hence,  too,  the  city  was  supplied  with  fruit ;  the  hill  and 
its  environs  being  covered  with  vineyards,  and  with 
groves  of  the  date  and  lotus;  with  gardens  producing 
citrons,  oranges,  pomegranates,  figs,  peaches,  and  apri- 
cots ;  and  being  irrigated  with  limpid  streams. 

On  arriving  at  this  fruitful  spot,  Al  Kaswa,  the  camel 
of  Mahomet,  crouched  on  her  knees,  and  would  go  no  fur- 
ther. The  prophet  interpreted  it  as  a  favorable  sign, 
and  determined  to  remain  at  Koba,  and  prepare  for  en- 
tering the  city.  The  place  where  his  camel  knelt  is 
still  pointed  out  by  pious  Moslems,  a  mosque  named 
Al  Takwa  having  been  built  there  to  commemorate  the 
circumstance.  Some  affirm  that  it  was  actually  founded 
by  the  prophet.  A  deep  well  is  also  shown  in  the  vicin- 
ity, beside  which  Mahomet  reposed  under  the  shade  of 
the  trees,  and  into  which  he  dropped  his  seal  ring.  It  is 
believed  still  to  remain  there,  and  has  given  sanctity  to 
the  well ;  the  waters  of  which  are  conducted  by  subter- 
raneous conduits  to  Medina.  At  Koba  he  remained  four 
days,  residing  in  the  house  of  an  Awsite  named  Colthum 
Ibn  Hadem.  While  at  this  village  he  was  joined  by  a 
distinguished  chief,  Boreida  Ibn  Hoseib,  with  seventy 
followers,  all  of  the  tribe  of  Saham.  These  made  pro- 
fession of  faith  between  the  hands  of  Mahomet. 

Another  renowned  proselyte  who  repaired  to  the 
prophet  at  this  village,  was  Salman  al  Parsi  (or  the  Per- 


SALMAN  THE  PERSIAN.  141 

sian).  He  is  said  to  have  been  a  native  of  a  small  place 
near  Ispahan,  and  that,  on  passing  one  day  by  a  Chris- 
tian church,  he  was  so  much  struck  by  the  devotion  of 
the  people,  and  the  solemnity  of  the  worship,  that  he 
became  disgusted  with  the  idolatrous  faith  in  which  he 
had  been  brought  up.  He  afterwards  wandered  about 
the  East,  from  city  to  city,  and  convent  to  convent,  in 
quest  of  a  religion,  until  an  ancient  monk,  full  of  years 
and  infirmities,  told  him  of  a  prophet  who  had  arisen  in 
Arabia  to  restore  the  pure  faith  of  Abraham. 

This  Salman  rose  to  power  in  after  years,  and  was 
reputed  by  the  unbelievers  of  Mecca  to  have  assisted 
Mahomet  in  compiling  his  doctrine.  This  is  alluded  to 
in  the  sixteenth  chapter  of  the  Koran.  "  Verily,  the  idol- 
aters say,  that  a  certain  man  assisted  to  compose  the 
Koran ;  but  the  language  of  this  man  is  Ajami  (or  Per- 
sian), and  the  Koran  is  indited  in  the  pure  Arabian 
tongue."  * 

The  Moslems  of  Mecca,  who  had  taken  refuge  some 
time  before  in  Medina,  hearing  that  Mahomet  was  at 
hand,  came  forth  to  meet  him  at  Koba ;  among  these  was 
the  early  convert  Talha,  and  Zobeir,  the  nephew  of  Cadi- 
jah.     These,  seeing  the  travel-stained  garments  of  Ma- 

*  The  renowned  and  learned  Humphrey  Prideaux,  Doctor  of  Divinity 
and  Dean  of  Norwich,  in  his  Life  of  Mahomet,  confounds  this  Salman  the 
Persian  with  Abdallah  Ibn  Salam,  a  learned  Jew  ;  by  some  called  Abdias 
Ben  Salan  in  the  Hebrew  dialect,  and  by  others  Abdallah  Salen  ;  who  is 
accused  by  Christian  writers  of  assisting  Mahomet  in  fabricating  hi« 
revelations, 


142  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

hornet  and  Abu  Beker,  gave  them  white  mantles,  with 
which  to  make  their  entrance  into  Medina.  Numbers  of 
the  Ansarians,  or  auxiliaries,  of  Medina,  who  had  made 
their  compact  with  Mahomet  in  the  preceding  year,  now 
hastened  to  renew  their  vow  of  fidelity. 

Learning  from  them  that  the  number  of  proselytes  in 
the  city  was  rapidly  augmenting,  and  that  there  was  a 
general  disposition  to  receive  him  favorably,  he  appointed 
Friday,  the  Moslem  sabbath,  the  sixteenth  day  of  the 
month  Eabi,  for  his  public  entrance. 

Accordingly,  on  the  morning  of  that  day  he  assembled 
all  his  followers  to  prayer;  and  after  a  sermon,  in 
which  he  expounded  the  main  principles  of  his  faith,  he 
mounted  his  camel  Al  Kaswa,  and  set  forth  for  that  city 
which  was  to  become  renowned  in  after  ages  as  his  city 
of  refuge. 

Boreida  Ibn  al  Hoseib,  with  his  seventy  horsemen  of 
the  tribe  of  Saham,  accompanied  him  as  a  guard.  Some 
of  the  disciples  took  turns  to  hold  a  canopy  of  palm- 
leaves  over  his  head,  and  by  his  side  rode  Abu  Beker. 
"  O  apostle  of  God ! "  cried  Boreida,  "  thou  shalt  not 
enter  Medina  without  a  standard ; "  so  saying,  he  un- 
folded his  turban,  and  tying  one  end  of  it  to  the  point  of 
his  lance,  bore  it  aloft  before  the  prophet. 

The  city  of  Medina  was  fair  to  approach,  being  extolled 
for  beauty  of  situation,  salubrity  of  climate,  and  fertility 
of  soil;  for  the  luxuriance  of  its  palm-trees,  and  the 
fragrance  of  its  shrubs  and  flowers.     At  a  short  distance 


ENTRANCE  INTO  MEDINA.  143 

from  the  city  a  crowd  of  new  proselytes  to  the  faith, 
came  forth  in  sun  and  dust  to  meet  the  cavalcade.  Most 
of  them  had  never  seen  Mahomet,  and  paid  reverence  to 
Abu  Beker  through  mistake ;  but  the  latter  put  aside  the 
screen  of  palm-leaves,  and  pointed  out  the  real  object  of 
homage,  who  was  greeted  with  loud  acclamations. 

In  this  way  did  Mahomet,  so  recently  a  fugitive  from 
his  native  city,  with  a  price  upon  his  head,  enter  Medina, 
more  as  a  conqueror  in  triumph  than  an  exile  seeking  an 
asylum.  He  alighted  at  the  house  of  a  Khazradite, 
named  Abu  Ayub,  a  devout  Moslem,  to  whom  moreover 
he  was  distantly  related;  here  he  was  hospitably  re- 
ceived, and  took  up  his  abode  in  the  basement  story. 

Shortly  after  his  arrival  he  was  joined  by  the  faithful 
Ali,  who  had  fled  from  Mecca,  and  journeyed  on  foot, 
hiding  himself  in  the  day  and  travelling  only  at  night, 
lest  he  should  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Koreishites.  He 
arrived  weary  and  wayworn,  his  feet  bleeding  with  the 
roughness  of  the  journey. 

Within  a  few  days  more  came  Ayesha,  and  the  rest  of 
Abu  Beker's  household,  together  with  the  family  of 
Mahomet,  conducted  by  his  faithful  freedman  Zeid,  and 
by  Abu  Beker's  servant  Abdallah. 

Such  is  the  story  of  the  memorable  Hegira,  or  "  Flight 
of  the  Prophet ; " — the  era  of  the  Arabian  calendar  from 
which  time  is  calculated  by  all  true  Moslems :  it  corre- 
sponds to  the  622d  year  of  the  Christian  era. 


CHAPTEE  XIV. 

MOSLEMS  IN  MEDINA,  MOHADJERINS  AND  ANSARIANS.— THE  PARTY  OP  AB- 
DALLAH  IBN  OBBA  AND  THE  HYPOCRITES.— MAHOMET  BUILDS  A  MOSQUE; 
preaches;  MAKES  CONVERTS  AMONG  THE  CHRISTIANS.— THE  JEWS  SLOW 
TO  BELIEVE.— BROTHERHOOD  ESTABLISHED  BETWEEN  FUGITIVES  AND  AL- 
LIES. 

5AHOMET  soon  found  himself  at  the  head  of  a 
numerous  and  powerful  sect  in  Medina ;  partly- 
made  up  of  those  of  his  disciples  who  had  fled 
from  Mecca,  and  were  thence  called  Mohadjerins  or 
Fugitives,  and  partly  of  inhabitants  of  the  place,  who  on 
joining  the  faith  were  called  Ansarians  or  Auxiliaries. 
Most  of  these  latter  were  of  the  powerful  tribes  of  the 
Awsites  and  Khazradites,  which,  though  descended  from 
two  brothers,  Al  Aws  and  Al  Khazraj,  had  for  a  hundred 
and  twenty  years  distracted  Medina  by  their  inveterate 
and  mortal  feuds,  but  had  now  become  united  in  the 
bonds  of  faith.  With  such  of  these  tribes  as  did  not  im- 
mediately adopt  his  doctrines  he  made  a  covenant. 

The  Khazradites  were  very  much  under  the  sway  of  a 
prince  or  chief  named  Abdallah  Ibn  Obba;  who,  it  is 
said,  was  on  the  point  of  being  made  king,  when  the 
arrival  of  Mahomet  and  the  excitement  caused  by  his 

144 


ERECTS  A  MOSQUE.  145 

doctrines,  gave  the  popular  feeling  a  new  direction.  Ab- 
dallah  was  stately  in  person,  of  a  graceful  demeanor,  and 
ready  and  eloquent  tongue ;  he  professed  great  friendship 
for  Mahomet,  and  with  several  companions  of  his  own 
type  and  character,  used  to  attend  the  meetings  of  the 
Moslems.  Mahomet  was  captivated  at  first  by  their  per- 
sonal appearance,  their  plausible  conversation,  and  their 
apparent  deference  ;  but  he  found  in  the  end  that  Abdallah 
was  jealous  of  his  popularity  and  cherished  secret  ani- 
mosity against  him,  and  that  his  companions  were 
equally  false  in  their  pretended  friendship;  hence,  he 
stamped  them  with  the  name  of  "  The  Hypocrites."  Ab- 
dallah Ibn  Obba  long  continued  his  political  rival  in 
Medina. 

Being  now  enabled  publicly  to  exercise  his  faith  and 
preach  his  doctrines,  Mahomet  proceeded  to  erect  a 
mosque.  The  place  chosen  was  a  grave-yard  or  burying- 
ground,  shaded  by  date-trees.  He  is  said  to  have  been 
guided  in  his  choice  by  what  he  considered  a  favorable 
omen ;  his  camel  having  knelt  opposite  to  this  place  on 
his  public  entry  into  the  city.  The  dead  were  removed, 
and  the  frees  cut  down  to  make  way  for  the  intended 
edifice.  It  was  simple  in  form  and  structure,  suited  to 
the  unostentatious  religion  which  he  professed  and  to 
the  scanty  and  precarious  means  of  its  votaries.  The 
walls  were  of  earth  and  brick ;  the  trunks  of  the  palm- 
trees  recently  felled,  served  as  pillars  to  support  the 
roof,  which  was  framed  of  their  banches  and  thatched 
vol,  l— 10 


146  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

with  their  leaves.  It  was  about  a  hundred  ells  square, 
and  had  three  doors ;  one  to  the  south,  where  the  Kebla 
was  afterwards  established,  another  called  the  gate  of 
Gabriel,  and  the  third  the  gate  of  Mercy.  A  part  of  the 
edifice,  called  Soffat,  was  assigned  as  a  habitation  to  such 
of  the  believers  as  were  without  a  home. 

Mahomet  assisted  with  his  own  hands  in  the  construc- 
tion of  this  mosque.  With  all  his  foreknowledge,  he 
little  thought  that  he  was  building  his  own  tomb  and 
monument ;  for  in  that  edifice  his  remains  are  deposited. 
It  has  in  after  times  been  repeatedly  enlarged  and  beau- 
tified, but  still  bears  the  name  Mesjed  al  Nebi  (the 
Mosque  of  the  Prophet),  from  having  been  founded  by 
his  hands.  He  was  for  some  time  at  a  loss  in  what  man- 
ner his  followers  should  be  summoned  to  their  devo- 
tions ;  whether  with  the  sound  of  trumpets,  as  among 
the  Jews,  or  by  lighting  fires  on  high  places,  or  by  the 
striking  of  timbrels.  While  in  this  perplexity,  a  form  of 
words  to  be  cried  aloud,  was  suggested  by  Abdallah,  the 
son  of  Zeid,  who  declared  that  it  was  revealed  to  him  in 
a  vision.  It  was  instantly  adopted  by  Mahomet,  and 
such  is  given  as  the  origin  of  the  following  summons, 
which  is  to  this  day  heard  from  the  lofty  minarets 
throughout  the  East,  calling  the  Moslems  to  the  place  of 
worship  :  "  God  is  great !  God  is  great !  There  is  no  God 
but  God.  Mahomet  is  the  apostle  of  God.  Come  to 
prayers  !  come  to  prayers  !  God  is  great !  God  is  great ! 
There  is  no  God  but  God."     To  which  at  dawn  of  day  is 


INCULCATES  BENIGNANT  PRECEPTS.  147 

added  the  exhortation,  "  Prayer  is  better  than  sleep ! 
Prayer  is  better  than  sleep  ! " 

Everything  in  this  humble  mosque  was  at  first  con- 
ducted with  great  simplicity.  At  night  it  was  lighted  up 
by  splinters  of  the  date-tree :  and  it  was  some  time 
before  lamps  and  oil  were  introduced.  The  prophet 
stood  on  the  ground  and  preached,  leaning  with  his  back 
against  the  trunk  of  one  of  the  date-trees,  which  served 
as  pillars.  He  afterwards  had  a  pulpit  or  tribune 
erected,  to  which  he  ascended  by  three  steps,  so  as  to  be 
elevated  above  the  congregation.  Tradition  asserts,  that 
when  he  first  ascended  this  pulpit,  the  deserted  date-tree 
uttered  a  groan ;  whereupon,  as  a  consolation,  he  gave  it 
the  choice  either  to  be  transplanted  to  a  garden  again  to 
flourish,  or  to  be  transferred  to  paradise,  there  to  yield 
fruit,  in  after  life,  to  true  believers.  The  date-tree  wisely 
chose  the  latter,  and  was  subsequently  buried  beneath 
the  pulpit,  there  to  await  its  blissful  resurrection. 

Mahomet  preached  and  prayed  in  the  pulpit,  some- 
times sitting,  sometimes  standing  and  leaning  on  a  staff. 
His  precepts  as  yet  were  all  peaceful  and  benignant,  in- 
culcating devotion  to  God  and  humanity  to  man.  He 
seems  to  have  emulated  for  a  time  the  benignity  of  the 
Christian  faith.  "  He  who  is  not  affectionate  to  God's 
creatures,  and  to  his  own  children,"  would  he  say,  "  God 
will  not  be  affectionate  to  him.  Every  Moslem  who 
clothes  the  naked  of  his  faith,  will  be  clothed  by  Allah 
in  the  green  robes  of  paradise." 


148  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

In  one  of  his  traditional  sermons  transmitted  by  his 
disciples,  is  the  following  apologue  on  the  subject  of 
charity :  "  When  God  created  the  earth  it  shook  and 
trembled,  until  he  put  mountains  upon  it,  to  make  it 
firm.  Then  the  angels  asked,  '  O  God,  is  there  anything 
of  thy  creation  stronger  than  these  mountains  ? '  And 
God  replied,  '  Iron  is  stronger  than  the  mountains ;  for  it 
breaks  them.'  'And  is  there  anything  of  thy  creation 
stronger  than  iron  ? '  '  Yes ;  fire  is  stronger  than  iron, 
for  it  melts  it.'  'Is  there  anything  of  thy  creation 
stronger  than  fire?'  'Yes;  water,  for  it  quenches  fire.' 
'  O  Lord,  is  there  anything  of  thy  creation  stronger  than 
water  ? '  '  Yes,  wind  ;  for  it  overcomes  water  and  puts  it 
in  motion.'  'O,  our  Sustainer  !  is  there  anything  of  thy 
creation  stronger  than  wind  ?  '  '  Yes,  a  good  man  giving 
alms  ;  if  he  give  with  his  right  hand  and  conceal  it  from 
his  left,  he  overcomes  all  things.'  " 

His  definition  of  charity  embraced  the  wide  circle  of 
kindness.  Every  good  act,  he  would  say,  is  charity. 
Your  smiling  in  your  brother's  face  is  charity ;  an  exhor- 
tation of  your  fellow  man  to  virtuous  deeds  is  equal  to 
alms-giving ;  your  putting  a  wanderer  in  the  right  road 
is  charity ;  your  assisting  the  blind  is  charity ;  your  re- 
moving stones  and  thorns  and  other  obstructions  from  the 
road  is  charity ;  your  giving  water  to  the  thirsty  is  charity. 
"  A  man's  true  wealth  hereafter  is  the  good  he  does  in 
this  world  to  his  fellow  man.  When  he  dies,  people  will 
say,  What  property  has  he  left  behind  him  ?     But  the 


DEFINITION  OF  CHARITY.  149 

angels,  who  examine  him  in  the  grave,  will  ask,  'What 
good  deeds  hast  thou  sent  before  thee  ?  '  " 

"  O  prophet !  "  said  one  of  his  disciples,  "  my  mother 
Omm-Sad,  is  dead ;  what  is  the  best  alms  I  can  send  for 
the  good  of  her  soul?"  "Water!"  replied  Mahomet, 
bethinking  himself  of  the  panting  heats  of  the  desert. 
"  Dig  a  well  for  her,  and  give  water  to  the  thirsty."  The 
man  digged  a  well  in  his  mother's  name,  and  said  "  This 
well  is  for  my  mother,  that  its  rewards  may  reach  her  soul." 

Charity  of  the  tongue,  also,  that  most  important  and 
least  cultivated  of  charities,  was  likewise  earnestly  incul- 
cated by  Mahomet.  Abu  Jaraiya,  an  inhabitant  of  Bas- 
rah, coming  to  Medina,  and  being  persuaded  of  the  apos- 
tolical office  of  Mahomet,  entreated  of  him  some  great 
rule  of  conduct.  "  Speak  evil  of  no  one,"  answered  the 
prophet.  "  From  that  time,"  says  Abu  Jaraiya,  "  I  never 
did  abuse  any  one,  whether  freeman  or  slave." 

The  rules  of  Islamism  extended  to  the  courtesies  of 
life.  Make  a  salam  (or  salutation)  to  a  house  on  enter- 
ing and  leaving  it.  Eeturn  the  salute  of  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances, and  wayfarers  on  the  road.  He  who  rides 
must  be  the  first  to  make  the  salute  to  him  who  walks ; 
he  who  walks  to  him  who  is  sitting ;  a  small  party  to  a 
large  party,  and  the  young  to  the  old. 

On  the  arrival  of  Mahomet  at  Medina,  some  of  the 
Christians  of  the  city  promptly  enrolled  themselves 
among  his  followers;  they  were  probably  of  those  sec- 
tarians who   held  to  the  human  nature  of  Christ,  and 


150  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

found  nothing  repugnant  in  Islamism ;  which  venerated 
Christ  as  the  greatest  among  the  prophets.  The  rest  of 
the  Christians  resident  there  showed  but  little  hostility 
to  the  new  faith,  considering  it  far  better  than  the  old 
idolatry.  Indeed,  the  schisms  and  bitter  dissensions 
among  the  Christians  of  the  East  had  impaired  their 
orthodoxy,  weakened  their  zeal,  and  disposed  them  easily 
to  be  led  away  by  new  doctrines. 

The  Jews,  of  which  there  were  rich  and  powerful  fami- 
lies in  Medina  and  its  vicinity,  showed  a  less  favorable 
disposition.  With  some  of  them  Mahomet  made  cove- 
nants of  peace,  and  trusted  to  gain  them  in  time  to  accept 
him  as  their  promised  Messiah  or  prophet.  Biased,  per- 
haps unconsciously,  by  such  views,  he  had  modeled  many 
of  his  doctrines  on  the  dogmas  of  their  religion,  and  ob- 
served certain  of  their  fasts  and  ordinances.  He  allowed 
such  as  embraced  Islamism,  to  continue  in  the  observ- 
ance of  their  Sabbath,  and  of  several  of  the  Mosaic  laws 
and  ceremonies.  It  was  the  custom  of  the  different  relig- 
ions of  the  East,  to  have  each  a  Kebla  or  sacred  point 
towards  which  they  turned  their  faces  in  the  act  of  ado- 
ration ;  the  Sabeans  toward  the  North  Star ;  the  Persian 
fire-worshipper  towards  the  east,  the  place  of  the  rising 
sun;  the  Jews  toward  their  holy  city  of  Jerusalem. 
Hitherto  Mahomet  had  prescribed  nothing  of  the  kind ; 
but  now,  out  of  deference  to  the  Jews,  he  made  Jerusa- 
lem the  Kebla,  toward  which  all  Moslems  were  to  turn 
their  faces  when  in  prayer, 


CONDUCT  TOWARDS  THE  JEWS.  151 

While  new  converts  were  daily  made  among  the  in- 
habitants of  Medina,  sickness  and  discontent  began  to 
prevail  among  the  fugitives  from  Mecca.  They  were  not 
accustomed  to  the  climate;  many  suffered  from  fevers, 
and  in  their  sickness  and  debility  languished  after  the 
home  whence  they  were  exiled. 

To  give  them  a  new  home,  and  link  them  closely  with 
their  new  friends  and  allies,  Mahomet  established  a 
brotherhood  between  fifty-four  of  them  and  as  many  of 
the  inhabitants  of  Medina.  Two  persons  thus  linked  to- 
gether, were  pledged  to  stand  by  each  other  in  weal  and 
woe  ;  it  was  a  tie  which  knit  their  interests  more  closely 
even  than  that  of  kindred,  for  they  were  to  be  heirs  to 
each  other  in  preference  to  blood  relations. 

This  institution  was  one  of  expediency,  and  lasted  only 
until  the  new  comers  had  taken  firm  root  in  Medina ;  ex- 
tended merely  to  those  of  the  people  of  Mecca  who  had 
fled  from  persecution  ;  and  is  alluded  to  in  the  following 
verse  of  the  eighth  chapter  of  the  Koran:  "They  who 
have  believed  and  have  fled  their  country,  and  employed 
their  substance  and  their  persons  in  fighting  for  the  faith, 
and  they  who  have  given  the  prophet  a  refuge  among 
them,  and  have  assisted  him,  these  shall  be  deemed  the 
one  nearest  of  kin  to  the  other." 

In  this  shrewd,  but  simple  way,  were  laid  the  founda- 
tions of  that  power  which  was  soon  to  attain  stupendous 
strength,  and  to  shake  the  mightiest  empires  of  the 
world. 


CHAPTEK  XV. 

MARRIAGE    OF     MAHOMET    WITH    ATESHA. — OF    HIS     DAUGHTER     FATIMA    WITH 
ALL— THEIR  HOUSEHOLD  ARRANGEMENTS. 

jjpjaiHE  family  relations  of  Mahomet  had  been 
|J§}gjfe  much  broken  up  by  the  hostility  brought  upon 
SSIIij  him  by  his  religious  zeal.  His  daughter  Eo- 
kaia  was  still  an  exile  with  her  husband,  Othman  Ibn 
Alian,  in  Abyssinia ;  his  daughter  Zeinab  had  remained 
in  Mecca  with  her  husband,  Abul  Aass,  who  was  a  stub- 
born opposer  of  the  new  faith.  The  family  with  Mahomet 
in  Medina  consisted  of  his  recently  wedded  wife  Sawda, 
and  Fatima  and  Um  Colthum,  daughters  of  his  late  wife 
Cadijah.  He  had  a  heart  prone  to  affection,  and  subject 
to  female  influence,  but  he  had  never  entertained  much 
love  for  Sawda ;  and  though  he  always  treated  her  with 
kindness,  he  felt  the  want  of  some  one  to  supply  the 
place  of  his  deceased  wife  Cadijah. 

"O  Omar,"  said  he  one  day,  "the  best  of  man's  treas- 
ures is  a  virtuous  woman,  who  acts  by  God's  orders,  and 
is  obedient  and  pleasing  to  her  husband :  he  regards 
her  personal  and  mental  beauties  with  delight ;  when 
he   orders    her    to    do    anything   she   obeys   him ;    and 

153 


MARRIES  AYESHA.  153 

when  he  is  absent  she  guards  his  right  in  property  and 
honor." 

He  now  turned  his  eyes  upon  his  betrothed  spouse 
Ayesha,  the  beautiful  daughter  of  Abu  Beker.  Two 
years  had  elapsed  since  they  were  betrothed,  and  she 
had  now  attained  her  ninth  year;  an  infantine  age  it 
would  seem,  though  the  female  form  is  wonderfully  pre- 
cocious in  the  quickening  climates  of  the  East.  Their 
nuptials  took  place  a  few  months  after  their  arrival  in 
Medina,  and  were  celebrated  with  great  simplicity ;  the 
wedding  supper  was  of  milk,  and  the  dowry  of  the  bride 
was  twelve  okk  of  silver. 

The  betrothing  of  Fatima,  his  youngest  daughter, 
with  his  loyal  disciple  Ali,  followed  shortly  after,  and 
their  marriage  at  a  somewhat  later  period.  Fatima 
was  between  fifteen  and  sixteen  years  of  age,  of  great 
beauty,  and  extolled  by  Arabian  writers  as  one  of  the 
four  perfect  women  with  whom  Allah  has  deigned 
to  bless  the  earth.  The  age  of  Ali  was  about  twenty- 
two. 

Heaven  and  earth,  say  the  Moslem  writers,  joined  in 
paying  honor  to  these  happy  espousals.  Medina  re- 
sounded with  festivity,  and  blazed  with  illuminations, 
and  the  atmosphere  was  laden  with  aromatic  odors.  As 
Mahomet,  on  the  nuptial  night,  conducted  his  daughter 
to  her  bridegroom,  heaven  sent  down  a  celestial  pomp  to 
attend  her  ;  on  her  right  hand  was  the  archangel  Gabriel  ; 
on  her  left  was  Michael,  and  she  was  followed  by  a  train 


154  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

of  seventy  thousand  angels,  who  all  night  kept  watch 
round  the  mansion  of  the  youthful  pair. 

Such  are  the  vaunting  exaggerations  with  which  Mos- 
lem writers  are  prone  to  overlay  every  event  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  prophet,  and  destroy  the  real  grandeur  of  his 
career,  which  consists  in  its  simplicity.     A  more  reliable 
account  states  that  the  wedding  feast  was  of  dates  and 
olives;  that  the  nuptial  couch  was  a  sheep-skin;  that 
the  portion  of    the  bride  consisted  of  two  skirts,  one 
head-tire,  two  silver  armlets,  one  leathern  pillow  stuffed 
with   palm-leaves,   one    beaker   or    drinking     cup,    one 
handmill,  two  large  jars  for  water,  and  one  pitcher.    All 
this  was  in  unison  with  the  simplicity  of  Arab  house- 
keeping, and  with   the   circumstances    of    the   married 
couple  ;  and  to  raise  the  dowry  required  of  him,  Ali,  it 
is  said,  had  to  sell  several  camels  and  some  shirts  of 
mail. 

The  style  of  living  of  the  prophet  himself  was  not 
superior  to  that  of  his  disciple.  Ayesha,  speaking  of  it  in 
after  years,  observed :  "  For  a  whole  month  together  we 
did  not  light  a  fire  to  dress  victuals ;  our  food  was  nothing 
but  dates  and  water,  unless  any  one  sent  us  meat.  The 
people  of  the  prophet's  household  never  got  wheat- 
bread  two  successive  days." 

His  food,  in  general,  was  dates  and  barley-bread,  with 
milk  and  honey.  He  swept  his  chamber,  lit  his  fire, 
mended  his  clothes,  and  was  in  fact  his  own  servant. 
For  each  of  his  two  wives  he  provided  a  separate  house 


DEVOTION  TO  OADIJAH.  155 

adjoining  the  mosque.  He  resided  with  them  by  turns, 
but  Ayesha  ever  remained  his  favorite. 

Mahomet  has  been  extolled  by  Moslem  writers  for  the 
chastity  of  his  early  life ;  and  it  is  remarkable  that,  with 
all  the  plurality  of  wives  indulged  in  by  the  Arabs,  and 
which  he  permitted  himself  in  subsequent  years,  and 
with  all  that  constitutional  fondness  which  he  evinced  for 
the  sex,  he  remained  single  in  his  devotion  to  Cadijah  to 
her  dying  day,  never  giving  her  a  rival  in  his  house,  nor 
in  his  heart.  Even  the  fresh  and  budding  charms  of 
Ayesha,  which  soon  assumed  such  empire  over  him, 
could  not  obliterate  the  deep  and  mingled  feeling  of  ten- 
derness and  gratitude  for  his  early  benefactress.  Ayesha 
was  piqued  one  day  at  hearing  him  indulge  in  these  fond 
recollections :  "  O,  apostle  of  God,  "  demanded  the  youth- 
ful beauty,  "was  not  Cadijah  stricken  in  years?  Has 
not  Allah  given  thee  a  better  wife  in  her  stead?" 

"  Never  ! "  exclaimed  Mahomet,  with  an  honest  burst 
of  feeling —  "  never  did  God  give  me  a  better !  When  I 
was  poor,  she  enriched  me ;  when  I  was  pronounced  a 
liar,  she  believed  in  me ;  when  I  was  opposed  by  all  the 
world,  she  remained  true  tome!" 


CHAPTEK  XVI. 

THE    SWORD    ANNOUNCED   AS  THE    INSTRUMENT  OP    FAITH. — FIRST    FORAY 
AGAINST  THE  KOREISHITES. — SURPRISAL  OF  A  CARAVAN. 

E  come  now  to  an  important  era  in  the  career 
of  Mahomet.  Hitherto  he  had  relied  on  argu- 
ment and  persuasion  to  make  proselytes;  en- 


joining the  same  on  his  disciples.  His  exhortations  to 
them  to  bear  with  patience  and  long-suffering  the  vio- 
lence of  their  enemies,  almost  emulated  the  meek  precept 
of  our  Saviour,  "  if  they  smite  thee  on  the  one  cheek, 
turn  to  them  the  other  also."  He  now  arrived  at  a  point 
where  he  completely  diverged  from  the  celestial  spirit  of 
the  Christian  doctrines,  and  stamped  his  religion  with 
the  alloy  of  fallible  mortality.  His  human  nature  was 
not  capable  of  maintaining  the  sublime  forbearance  he 
had  hitherto  inculcated.  Thirteen  years  of  meek  endur- 
ance had  been  rewarded  by  nothing  but  aggravated  in- 
jury and  insult.  His  greatest  persecutors  had  been  those 
of  his  own  tribe,  the  Koreishites,  especially  those  of  the 
rival  line  of  Abd  Schems ;  whose  vindictive  chief,  Abu 
Sofian,  had  now  the  sway  at  Mecca.  By  their  virulent 
hostility  his  fortunes  had  been  blasted ;  his  family  de- 

156 


RELIGION  OF  THE  SWORD.  157 

graded,  impoverished,  and  dispersed,  and  he  himself 
driven  into  exile.  All  this  he  might  have  continued  to 
bear  with  involuntary  meekness,  had  not  the  means  of 
retaliation  unexpectedly  sprung  up  within  his  reach.  He 
had  come  to  Medina  a  fugitive  seeking  an  asylum,  and 
craving  merely  a  quiet  home.  In  a  little  while,  and 
probably  to  his  own  surprise,  he  found  an  army  at  his 
command :  for  among  the  many  converts  daily  made  in 
Medina,  the  fugitives  flocking  to  him  from  Mecca,  and 
proselytes  from  the  tribes  of  the  desert,  were  men  of  res- 
olute spirit,  skilled  in  the  use  of  arms,  and  fond  of  par- 
tisan warfare.  Human  passions  and  mortal  resentments 
were  awakened  by  this  sudden  accession  of  power.  They 
mingled  with  that  zeal  for  religious  reform,  which  was 
still  his  predominant  motive.  In  the  exaltations  of  his 
enthusiastic  spirit  he  endeavored  to  persuade  himself, 
and  perhaps  did  so  effectually,  that  the  power  thus 
placed  within  his  reach  was  intended  as  a  means  of  ef- 
fecting his  great  purpose,  and  that  he  was  called  upon  by 
divine  command  to  use  it.  Such,  at  least,  is  the  purport 
of  the  memorable  manifesto  which  he  issued  at  this 
epoch,  and  which  changed  the  whole  tone  and  fortunes 
of  his  faith. 

"Different  prophets,"  said  he,  "have  been  sent  by 
God  to  illustrate  his  different  attributes :  Moses  his 
clemency  and  providence  ;  Solomon  his  wisdom,  majesty, 
and  glory ;  Jesus  Christ  his  righteousness,  omniscience, 
and  power ; — his  righteousness  by  purity  of  conduct ;  his 


158  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

omniscience  by  the  knowledge  lie  displayed  of  the  secrets 
of  all  hearts;  his  power  by  the  miracles  he  wrought. 
None  of  these  attributes,  however,  have  been  sufficient 
to  enforce  conviction,  and  even  the  miracles  of  Moses 
and  Jesus  have  been  treated  with  unbelief.  I,  therefore, 
the  last  of  the  prophets,  am  sent  with  the  sword !  Let 
those  who  promulgate  my  faith  enter  into  no  argument 
nor  discussion ;  but  slay  all  who  refuse  obedience  to  the 
law.  Whoever  fights  for  the  true  faith,  whether  he  fall 
or  conquer,  will  assuredly  receive  a  glorious  reward." 

"The  sword,"  added  he,  "is  the  key  of  heaven  and 
hell ;  all  who  draw  it  in  the  cause  of  the  faith  will  be 
rewarded  with  temporal  advantages ;  every  drop  shed  of 
their  blood,  every  peril  and  hardship  endured  by  them, 
will  be  registered  on  high  as  more  meritorious  than  even 
fasting  and  praying.  If  they  fall  in  battle,  their  sins  will 
at  once  be  blotted  out,  and  they  will  be  transported  to 
paradise,  there  to  revel  in  eternal  pleasures  in  the  arms 
of  black-eyed  houris." 

Predestination  was  brought  to  aid  these  belligerent 
doctrines.  Every  event,  according  to  the  Koran,  was 
predestined  from  eternity,  and  could  not  be  avoided. 
No  man  could  die  sooner  or  later  than  his  allotted  hour, 
and  when  it  arrived,  it  would  be  the  same,  whether  the 
angel  of  death  should  find  him  in  the  quiet  of  his  bed,  or 
amid  the  storm  of  battle. 

Such  were  the  doctrines  and  revelations  which  con- 
verted Islamism  of  a  sudden  from  a  religion  of  meekness 


RELIGION  OF  TEE  SWORD.  I59 

and  philanthropy,  to  one  of  violence  and  the  sword. 
They  were  peculiarly  acceptable  to  the  Arabs,  harmoniz- 
ing with  their  habits,  and  encouraging  their  predatory 
propensities.  Virtually  pirates  of  the  desert,  it  is  not  to 
be  wondered  at  that,  after  this  open  promulgation  of  the 
Keligion  of  the  Sword,  they  should  flock  in  crowds  to  the 
standard  of  the  prophet.  Still  no  violence  was  authorized 
by  Mahomet  against  those  who  should  persist  in  unbelief, 
provided  they  should  readily  submit  to  his  temporal 
sway,  and  agree  to  pay  tribute ;  and  here  we  see  the  first 
indication  of  worldly  ambition  and  a  desire  for  temporal 
dominion  dawning  upon  his  mind.  Still  it  will  be  found, 
that  the  tribute  thus  exacted  was  subsidiary  to  his  ruling 
passion,  and  mainly  expended  by  him  in  the  extension  of 
the  faith. 

The  first  warlike  enterprises  of  Mahomet  betray  the 
lurking  resentment  we  have  noted.  They  were  directed 
against  the  caravans  of  Mecca,  belonging  to  his  implaca- 
ble enemies  the  Koreishites.  The  three  first  were  headed 
by  Mahomet  in  person,  but  without  any  material  result. 
The  fourth  was  confided  to  a  Moslem,  named  Abdallah 
Ibn  Jasch ;  who  was  sent  out  with  eight  or  ten  resolute 
followers  on  the  road  toward  South  Arabia.  As  it  was 
now  the  holy  month  of  Kacljab,  sacred  from  violence  and 
rapine,  Abdallah  had  sealed  orders,  not  to  be  opened 
until  the  third  day.  These  orders  were  vaguely  yet 
significantly  worded.  Abdallah  was  to  repair  to  the 
valley  of  Naklah,  between  Mecca  and  Tayef  (the  same  in 


160  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

which  Mahomet  had  the  re  velation  of  the  Genii),  where 
he  was  to  watch  for  an  expected  caravan  of  the  Kore- 
ishites.  "Perhaps,"  added  the  letter  of  instructions 
shrewdly, — "perhaps  thou  mayest  be  able  to  bring  us 
some  tidings  of  it." 

Abdallah  understood  the  true  meaning  of  the  letter, 
and  acted  up  to  it.  Arriving  in  the  valley  of  Naklah,  he 
descried  the  caravan,  consisting  of  several  camels  laden 
with  merchandise,  and  conducted  by  four  men.  Follow- 
ing it  at  a  distance,  he  sent  one  of  his  men,  disguised  as 
a  pilgrim,  to  overtake  it.  From  the  words  of  the  latter 
the  Koreishites  supposed  his  companions  to  be  like  him- 
self, pilgrims  bound  to  Mecca.  Besides,  it  was  the  month 
of  Eadjab,  when  the  desert  might  be  travelled  in  security. 
Scarce  had  they  come  to  a  halt,  however,  when  Abdallah 
and  his  comrades  fell  on  them ;  killed  one  and  took  two 
prisoners  ;  the  fourth  escaped.  The  victors  then  returned 
to  Medina  with  their  prisoners  and  booty. 

All  Medina  was  scandalized  at  this  breach  of  the  holy 
month.  Mahomet,  rinding  that  he  had  ventured  too  far, 
pretended  to  be  angry  with  Abdallah,  and  refused  to  take 
the  share  of  the  booty  offered  to  him.  Confiding  in  the 
vagueness  of  his  instructions,  he  insisted  that  he  had  not 
commanded  Abdallah  to  shed  blood,  or  commit  any  vio- 
lence during  the  holy  month. 

The  clamor  still  continuing,  and  being  echoed  by  the 
Koreishites  of  Mecca,  produced  the  following  passage  of 
the  Koran : — 


ABSOLVING  REVELATION.  161 

"They  will  ask  thee  concerning  the  sacred  month, 
whether  they  may  make  war  therein.  Answer :  To  war 
therein  is  grievous ;  but  to  deny  God,  to  bar  the  path  of 
God  against  his  people,  to  drive  true  believers  from  his 
holy  temple,  and  to  worship  idols,  are  sins  far  more 
grievous  than  to  kill  in  the  holy  months." 

Having  thus  proclaimed  divine  sanction  for  the  deed, 
Mahomet  no  longer  hesitated  to  take  his  share  of  the 
booty.  He  delivered  one  of  the  prisoners  on  ransom; 
the  other  embraced  Islamism. 

The  above  passage  of  the  Koran,  however  satisfactory 
it  may  have  been  to  devout  Moslems,  will  scarcely  serve 
to  exculpate  their  prophet  in  the  eyes  of  the  profane. 
The  expedition  of  Abdallah  Ibn  Jasch  was  a  sad  practi- 
cal illustration  of  the  new  religion  of  the  sword.  It  con- 
templated not  merely  an  act  of  plunder  and  revenge,  a 
venial  act  in  the  eyes  of  Arabs,  and  justified  by  the  new 
doctrines  by  being  exercised  against  the  enemies  of  the 
faith,  but  an  outrage  also  on  the  holy  month,  that  period 
sacred  from  time  immemorial  against  violence  and  blood- 
shed, and  which  Mahomet  himself  professed  to  hold  in 
reverence.  The  craft  and  secrecy  also  with  which  the 
whole  was  devised  and  conducted,  the  sealed  letter  of  in- 
structions to  Abdallah,  to  be  opened  only  at  the  end  of 
three  days,  at  the  scene  of  projected  outrage,  and  couched 
in  language  vague,  equivocal,  yet  sufficiently  significant 
to  the  agent ;  all  were  in  direct  opposition  to  the  conduct 
of  Mahomet  in  the  earlier  part  of  his  career,  when  h© 

VOL.  i. — 11 


162  MAHOMET  AND  BIS  SUCCESSORS. 

dared  openly  to  pursue  the  path  of  duty,  "  though  the 
sun  should  be  arrayed  against  him  on  the  right  hand, 
and  the  moon  on  the  left ; "  all  showed  that  he  was  con- 
scious of  the  turpitude  of  the  act  he  was  authorizing. 
His  disavowal  of  the  violence  committed  by  Abdallah, 
yet  his  bringing  the  Koran  to  his  aid  to  enable  him  to 
profit  by  it  with  impunity,  give  still  darker  shades  to  this 
transaction;  which  altogether  shows  how  immediately 
and  widely  he  went  wrong  the  moment  he  departed  from 
the  benevolent  spirit  of  Christianity,  which  he  at  first 
endeavored  to  emulate.  "Worldly  passions  and  worldly 
interests  were  fast  getting  the  ascendency  over  that  relig- 
ious enthusiasm  which  first  inspired  him.  As  has  well 
been  observed,  the  "  first  drop  of  blood  shed  in  his  name 
in  the  Holy  Week,  displayed  him  a  man,  in  whom  the 
slime  of  earth  had  quenched  the  holy  flame  of  prophecy." 


CHAPTEK  XVH. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  BEDER. 

N  the  second  year  of  the  Hegira,  Mahomet  re- 
ceived intelligence  that  his  arch  foe,  Abu 
Sofian,  with  a  troop  of  thirty  horsemen,  was 
conducting  back  to  Mecca  a  caravan  of  a  thousand 
camels,  laden  with  the  merchandise  of  Syria.  Their 
route  lay  through  the  country  of  Medina,  between  the 
range  of  mountains  and  the  sea.  Mahomet  determined 
to  intercept  them.  About  the  middle  of  the  month 
Ramadhan,  therefore,  he  sallied  forth  with  three  hun- 
dred and  fourteen  men,  of  whom  eighty-three  were  Mo- 
hadjerins,  or  exiles  from  Mecca ;  sixty-one  Awsites,  and 
a  hundred  and  seventy  Khazradites.  Each  troop  had  its 
own  banner.  There  were  but  two  horses  in  this  little 
army,  *  but  there  were  seventy  fleet  camels,  which  the 

*  "  The  Arabs  of  the  desert,"  says  Burckhardt,  "  are  not  rich  in  horses. 
Among  the  great  tribes  on  the  Red  Sea,  between  Akaba  and  Mecca,  and 
to  the  south  and  southeast  of  Mecca,  as  far  as  Yemen,  horses  are  very 
scarce,  especially  among  those  of  the  mountainous  districts.  The  settled 
inhabitants  of  Hedjaz  and  Yemen  are  not  much  in  the  habit  of  keeping 
horses.  The  tribes  most  rich  in  horses  are  those  who  dwell  in  the  com- 
paratively fertile  plains  of  Mesopotamia,  on  the  banks  of  the  river 
Euphrates,  and  on  the  Syrian  plains." — Burckhardt,  ii.  50. 

163 


164  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

troop  mounted  by  turns,  so  as  to  make  a  rapid  march 
without  much  fatigue. 

Othman  Ibn  Affan,  the  son-in-law  of  Mahomet,  was 
now  returned  with  his  wife  Rokaia  from  their  exile  in 
Abyssinia,  and  would  have  joined  the  enterprise,  but  his 
wife  was  ill  almost  unto  death,  so  that  he  was  obliged  re- 
luctantly to  remain  in  Medina. 

Mahomet  for  a  while  took  the  main  road  to  Mecca, 
then  leaving  it  to  the  left,  turned  toward  the  Red  Sea 
and  entered  a  fertile  valley,  watered  by  the  brook  Beder. 
Here  he  laid  in  wait  near  a  ford,  over  which  the  caravans 
were  accustomed  to  pass.  He  caused  his  men  to  dig  a 
deep  trench,  and  to  divert  the  water  therein,  so  that  they 
might  resort  thither  to  slake  their  thirst,  out  of  reach  of 
the  enemy. 

In  the  meantime,  Abu  Sofian  having  received  early  in- 
telligence that  Mahomet  had  sallied  forth  to  waylay  him 
with  a  superior  force,  despatched  a  messenger  named 
Omair,  on  a  fleet  dromedary,  to  summon  instant  relief 
from  Mecca.  The  messenger  arrived  at  the  Caaba  hag- 
gard and  breathless.  Abu  Jahl  mounted  the  roof  and 
sounded  the  alarm.  All  Mecca  was  in  confusion  and 
consternation.  Henda  the  wife  of  Abu  Sofian,  a  woman 
of  a  fierce  and  intrepid  nature,  called  upon  her  father 
Otha,  her  brother  Al  Walid,  her  uncle  Shaiba,  and  all  the 
warriors  of  her  kindred,  to  arm  and  hasten  to  the  relief 
of  her  husband.  The  brothers,  too,  of  the  Koreishite 
slain  by  Abdallah  Ibn  Jasch,  in  the  valley  of  Naklah, 


THE  BATTLE  OF  BEBER.  165 

seized  their  weapons  to  avenge  his  death.  Motives  of  in- 
terest were  mingled  with  eagerness  for  vengeance,  for  most 
of  the  Koreishites  had  property  embarked  in  the  caravan. 
In  a  little  while  a  force  of  one  hundred  horse  and  seven 
hundred  camels  hurried  forward  on  the  road  toward 
Syria.  It  was  led  by  Abu  Jahl,  now  threescore  and  ten 
years  of  age,  a  veteran  warrior  of  the  desert,  who  still  re- 
tained the  fire,  and  almost  the  vigor  and  activity  of  youth, 
combined  with  the  rancor  of  old  age. 

While  Abu  Jahl,  with  his  forces,  was  hurrying  on  in 
one  direction,  Abu  Sofian  was  approaching  in  another. 
On  arriving  at  the  region  of  danger,  he  preceded  his  car- 
avan a  considerable  distance,  carefully  regarding  every 
track  and  footprint.  At  length  he  came  upon  the  track 
of  the  little  army  of  Mahomet.  He  knew  it  from  the  size 
of  the  kernels  of  the  dates,  which  the  troops  had  thrown 
by  the  wayside  as  they  marched  —  those  of  Medina  being 
remarkable  for  their  smallness.  On  such  minute  signs 
do  the  Arabs  depend  in  tracking  their  foes  through  the 
deserts. 

Observing  the  course  Mahomet  had  taken,  Abu  Sofian 
changed  his  route,  and  passed  along  the  coast  of  the  Ked 
Sea  until  he  considered  himself  out  of  danger.  He  then 
sent  another  messenger  to  meet  any  Koreishites  that 
might  have  sallied  forth,  and  to  let  them  know  that  the 
caravan  was  safe,  and  they  might  return  to  Mecca. 

The  messenger  met  the  Koreishites  when  in  full  march. 
On  hearing  that  the  caravan  was  safe,  they  came  to  a 


166  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

halt  and  held  council.  Some  were  for  pushing  forward 
and  inflicting  a  signal  punishment  on  Mahomet  and  his 
followers;  others  were  for  turning  back.  In  this  di- 
lemma, they  sent  a  scout  to  reconnoitre  the  enemy.  He 
brought  back  word  that  they  were  about  three  hundred 
strong ;  this  increased  the  desire  of  those  who  were  for 
battle.  Others  remonstrated.  "  Consider,"  said  they, 
"  these  are  men  who  have  nothing  to  lose ;  they  have 
nothing  but  their  swords  ;  not  one  of  them  will  fall  with- 
out slaying  his  man.  Beside,  we  have  relatives  among 
them ;  if  we  conquer,  we  will  not  be  able  to  look  each 
other  in  the  face,  in  having  slain  each  other's  relatives." 
These  words  were  producing  their  effect,  but  the  brothers 
of  the  Koreishite  who  had  been  slain  in  the  valley  of 
Naklah,  were  instigated  by  Abu  Jahl  to  cry  for  revenge. 
That  fiery  old  Arab  seconded  their  appeal.  "  Forward  ! " 
cried  he  ;  "  let  us  get  water  from  the  brook  Beder  for  the 
feast  with  which  we  shall  make  merry  over  the  escape  of 
our  caravan."  The  main  body  of  the  troops,  there- 
fore, elevated  their  standards  and  resumed  their  march, 
though  a  considerable  number  turned  back  to  Mecca. 

The  scouts  of  Mahomet  brought  him  notice  of  the  ap- 
proach of  this  force.  The  hearts  of  some  of  his  followers 
failed  them ;  they  had  come  forth  in  the  expectation  of 
little  fighting  and  much  plunder,  and  were  dismayed  at 
the  thoughts  of  such  an  overwhelming  host;  but  Ma- 
homet bade  them  be  of  good  cheer,  for  Allah  had  prom- 
ised him  an  easy  victory. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  BEDEB.  167 

The  Moslems  posted  themselves  on  a  rising  ground, 
with  water  at  the  foot  of  it.  A  hut,  or  shelter  of  the 
branches  of  trees,  had  been  hastily  erected  on  the  sum- 
mit for  Mahomet,  and  a  dromedary  stood  before  it,  on 
which  he  might  fly  to  Medina  in  case  of  defeat. 

The  vanguard  of  the  enemy  entered  the  valley  panting 
with  thirst,  and  hastened  to  the  stream  to  drink;  but 
Hamza,  the  uncle  of  Mahomet,  set  upon  them  with  a 
number  of  his  men,  and  slew  the  leader  with  his  own 
hand.  Only  one  of  the  vanguard  escaped,  who  was  after- 
wards converted  to  the  faith. 

The  main  body  of  the  enemy  now  approached  with 
sound  of  trumpet.  Three  Koreishite  warriors  advancing 
in  front,  defied  the  bravest  of  the  Moslems  to  equal  com- 
bat. Two  of  these  challengers  were  Otha,  the  father-in- 
law  of  Abu  Sofian,  and  Al  Walid,  his  brother-in-law. 
The  third  challenger  was  Shaiba,  the  brother  of  Otha. 
These  it  will  be  recollected  had  been  instigated  to  sally 
forth  from  Mecca,  by  Henda,  the  wife  of  Abu  Sofian. 
They  were  all  men  of  rank  in  their  tribe. 

Three  warriors  of  Medina  stepped  forward  and  ac- 
cepted their  challenge ;  but  they  cried,  "  No !  Let  the 
renegades  of  our  own  city  of  Mecca,  advance,  if  they 
dare."  Upon  this  Hamza  and  Ali,  the  uncle  and  cousin 
of  Mahomet,  and  Obeidah  Ibn  al  Hareth,  undertook  the 
fight.  After  a  fierce  and  obstinate  contest,  Hamza  and 
Ali  each  slew  his  antagonist.  They  then  went  to  the  aid 
of  Obeidah,  who  was  severely  wounded  and  nearly  over- 


168  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSOMS. 

come  by  Otha.  They  slew  the  Koreishite  and  bore  away 
their  associate,  but  he  presently  died  of  his  wounds. 

The  battle  now  became  general.  The  Moslems,  aware 
of  the  inferiority  of  their  number,  at  first  merely  stood 
on  the  defensive,  maintaining  their  position  on  the  rising 
ground,  and  galling  the  enemy  with  flights  of  arrows 
whenever  they  sought  to  slake  their  intolerable  thirst  at 
the  stream  below.  Mahomet  remained  in  his  hut  on  the 
hill,  accompanied  by  Abu  Beker,  and  earnestly  engaged  in 
prayer.  In  the  course  of  the  battle  he  had  a  paroxysm, 
or  fell  into  a  kind  of  trance.  Coming  to  himself,  he  de- 
clared that  God  in  a  vision  had  promised  him  the  victory. 
Rushing  out  of  the  hut,  he  caught  up  a  handful  of  dust 
and  cast  it  into  the  air  toward  the  Koreishites,  exclaim- 
ing, "May  confusion  light  upon  their  faces."  Then 
ordering  his  followers  to  charge  down  upon  the  enemy : 
"  Fight,  and  fear  not,"  cried  he  ;  "  the  gates  of  paradise 
are  under  the  shade  of  swords.  He  will  assuredly  find 
instant  admission,  who  falls  fighting  for  the  faith." 

In  the  shock  of  battle  which  ensued,  Abu  Jahl,  who 
was  urging  his  horse  into  the  thickest  of  the  conflict,  re- 
ceived a  blow  of  a  scimetar  in  the  thigh,  which  brought 
him  to  the  ground.  Abdallah  Ibn  Masoud  put  his  foot 
upon  his  breast,  and  while  the  fiery  veteran  was  still 
uttering  imprecations  and  curses  on  Mahomet,  severed 
his  head  from  his  body. 

The  Koreishites  now  gave  way  and  fled.  Seventy  re- 
mained   dead  on  the  field,  and  nearly  the  same  num« 


THE  BATTLE  OF  BEDEB.  169 

ber  were  taken  prisoners.  Fourteen  Moslems  were 
slain,  whose  names  remain  on  record  as  martyrs  to  the 
faith. 

This  signal  victory  was  easily  to  be  accounted  for  on 
natural  principles ;  the  Moslems  being  fresh  and  un- 
wearied, and  having  the  advantage  of  a  rising  ground, 
and  a  supply  of  water;  while  the  Koreishites  were 
fatigued  by  a  hasty  march,  parched  with  thirst,  and 
diminished  in  force,  by  the  loss  of  numbers  who  had 
turned  back  to  Mecca.  Moslem  writers,  however,  at- 
tribute this  early  triumph  of  the  faith  to  supernatural 
agency.  When  Mahomet  scattered  dust  in  the  air,  say 
they,  three  thousand  angelic  warriors  in  white  and  yellow 
turbans,  and  long  dazzling  robes,  and  mounted  on  black 
and  white  steeds,  came  rushing  like  a  blast,  and  swept 
the  Koreishites  before  them.  Nor  is  this  affirmed  on 
Moslem  testimony  alone,  but  given  on  the  word  of  an 
idolater,  a  peasant  who  was  attending  sheep  on  an  adja- 
cent hill.  "I  was  with  a  companion,  my  cousin,"  said 
the  peasant,  "  upon  the  fold  of  the  mountain  watching  the 
conflict,  and  waiting  to  join  with  the  conquerors  and 
share  the  spoil.  Suddenly,  we  beheld  a  great  cloud  sail- 
ing toward  us,  and  within  it  were  the  neighing  of  steeds 
and  the  braying  of  trumpets.  As  it  approached,  squad- 
rons of  angels  sallied  forth,  and  we  heard  the  terrific 
voice  of  the  archangel  as  he  urged  his  mare  Haizum, 
'Speed!  speed!  O  Haizum!'  At  which  awful  sound 
the    heart   of    my    companion    burst   with   terror,   and 


170  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

he  died  on  the  spot ;  and  I  had  well  nigh  shared  his 
fate."  * 

When  the  conflict  was  over,  Abdallah  Ibn  Masoud 
brought  the  head  of  Abu  Jahl  to  Mahomet,  who  eyed  the 
grisly  trophy  with  exultation,  exclaiming,  "  This  man  was 
the  Pharaoh  of  our  nation."  The  true  name  of  this  vet- 
eran warrior  was  Amru  Ibn  Hasham.  The  Koreishites 
had  given  him  the  surname  of  Abu  'lhoem,  or  Father  of 
Wisdom,  on  account  of  his  sagacity.  The  Moslems  had 
changed  it  to  Abu  Jahl,  Father  of  Folly.  The  latter 
appellation  has  adhered  to  him  in  history,  and  he  is 
never  mentioned  by  true  believers  without  the  ejacula- 
tion, "  May  he  be  accursed  of  God." 

The  Moslems  who  had  fallen  in  battle  were  honorably 
interred ;  as  to  the  bodies  of  the  Koreishites,  they  were 
contemptuously  thrown  into  a  pit  which  had  been  digged 
for  them.  The  question  was  how  to  dispose  of  the  pris- 
oners. Omar  was  for  striking  off  their  heads ;  but  Abu 
Beker  advised  that  they  should  be  given  up  on  ransom. 

*  This  miraculous  aid  is  repeatedly  mentioned  in  the  Koran,  e.  g. : — 
"  God  had  already  given  you  the  victory  at  Beder,  when  ye  were  infe- 
rior in  number.  When  thou  saidst  unto  the  faithful,  Is  it  not  enough  for 
you  that  your  Lord  should  assist  you  with  three  thousand  angels,  sent 
down  from  heaven  ?  Verily,  if  ye  persevere,  and  fear  God,  and  your 
enemies  come  upon  you  suddenly,  your  Lord  will  assist  you  with  five 
thousand  angels,  distinguished  by  their  horses  and  attire — 

******* 

"  O  true  believers,  ye  slew  not  those  who  were  slain  at  Beder  yourselves, 
but  God  slew  them.  Neither  didst  thou,  O  Mahomet,  cast  the  gravel 
into  their  eyes,  when  thou  didst  seem  to  cast  it;  but  God  cast  it."— 
Sale's  Koran,  chap.  iii. 


TEE  BATTLE  OF  BEDER.  171 

Mahomet  observed  that  Omar  was  like  Noah,  who  prayed 
for  the  destruction  of  the  guilty  by  the  deluge ;  but  Abu 
Beker  was  like  Abraham,  who  interceded  for  the  guilty. 
He  decided  on  the  side  of  mercy.  But  two  of  the  pris- 
oners were  put  to  death  ;  one,  named  Nadhar,  for  having 
ridiculed  the  Koran  as  a  collection  of  Persian  tales  and 
fables  ;  the  other,  named  Okba,  for  the  attempt  upon 
the  life  of  Mahomet  when  he  first  preached  in  the  Caaba, 
and  when  he  was  rescued  by  Abu  Beker.  Several  of  the 
prisoners  who  were  poor,  were  liberated  on  merely  mak- 
ing oath  never  again  to  take  up  arms  against  Mahomet 
or  his  followers.  The  rest  were  detained  until  ransoms 
should  be  sent  by  their  friends. 

Among  the  most  important  of  the  prisoners,  was  Al 
Abbas,  the  uncle  of  Mahomet.  He  had  been  captured 
by  Abu  Yaser,  a  man  of  small  stature.  As  the  bystand- 
ers scoffed  at  the  disparity  of  size,  Al  Abbas  pretended 
that  he  really  had  surrendered  to  a  horseman  of  gigantic 
size,  mounted  on  a  steed  the  like  of  which  he  had  never 
seen  before.  Abu  Yaser  would  have  steadily  maintained 
the  truth  of  his  capture,  but  Mahomet,  willing  to  spare 
the  humiliation  of  his  uncle,  intimated  that  the  captor 
had  been  aided  by  the  angel  Gabriel. 

Al  Abbas  would  have  excused  himself  from  paying 
ransom,  alleging  that  he  was  a  Moslem  in  heart,  and  had 
only  taken  part  in  the  battle  on  compulsion ;  but  his  ex- 
cuse did  not  avail.  It  is  thought  by  many  that  he  really 
had  a  secret  understanding  with  his  nephew,  and  was 


172  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

employed  by  him  as  a  spy  in  Mecca,  both  before  and 
after  the  battle  of  Beder. 

Another  prisoner  of  great  importance  to  Mahomet  was 
Abul  Aass,  the  husband  of  his  daughter  Zeinab.  The 
prophet  would  fain  have  drawn  his  son-in-law  to  him 
and  enrolled  him  among  his  disciples,  but  Abul  Aass 
remained  stubborn  in  unbelief.  Mahomet  then  offered 
to  set  him  at  liberty  on  condition  of  his  returning  to  him 
his  daughter.  To  this  the  infidel  agreed ;  and  Zeid,  the 
faithful  freedman  of  the  prophet,  was  sent  with  several 
companions  to  Mecca,  to  bring  Zeinab  to  Medina ;  in  the 
meantime,  her  husband  Abul  Aass,  remained  a  hostage 
for  the  fulfillment  of  the  compact. 

Before  the  army  returned  to  Medina  there  was  a  divis- 
ion of  the  spoil ;  for,  though  the  caravan  of  Abu  Sofian 
had  escaped,  yet  considerable  booty  of  weapons  and 
camels  had  been  taken  in  the  battle,  and  a  large  sum  of 
money  would  accrue  from  the  ransom  of  the  prisoners. 
On  this  occasion  Mahomet  ordered  that  the  whole 
should  be  equally  divided  among  all  the  Moslems  en- 
gaged in  the  enterprise  ;  and  though  it  was  a  long-estab- 
lished custom  among  the  Arabs  to  give  a  fourth  part 
of  the  booty  to  the  chief,  yet  he  contented  himself  with 
the  same  share  as  the  rest.  Among  the  spoil  which  fell 
to  his  lot  was  a  famous  sword  of  admirable  temper, 
called  Dhul  Fakar,  or  the  Piercer.  He  ever  afterwards 
bore  it  when  in  battle ;  and  his  son-in-law  Ali  inherited 
it  at  his  death. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  BED  EM.  173 

This  equal  distribution  of  the  booty  caused  great  mur- 
murs among  the  troops.  Those  who  had  borne  the  brunt 
of  the  fight,  and  had  been  most  active  in  taking  the  spoil, 
complained  that  they  had  to  share  alike  with  those  who 
had  stood  aloof  from  the  affray,  and  with  the  old  men 
who  had  remained  to  guard  the  camp.  The  dispute,  ob- 
serves Sale,  resembles  that  of  the  soldiers  of  David  in 
relation  to  spoils  taken  from  the  Amalekites ;  those  who 
had  been  in  the  action  insisting  that  they  who  tarried  by 
the  stuff  should  have  no  share  of  the  spoil.  The  decision 
was  the  same — that  they  should  share  alike.  (1  Samuel 
xxx.  21-25.)  Mahomet,  from  his  knowledge  of  Bible 
history,  may  have  been  guided  by  this  decision.  The 
division  of  the  spoils  was  an  important  point  to  settle, 
for  a  leader  about  to  enter  on  a  career  of  predatory  war- 
fare. Fortunately,  he  had  a  timely  revelation  shortly 
after  his  return  to  Mecca,  regulating  for  the  future  the 
division  of  all  booty  gained  in  fighting  for  the  faith. 

Such  are  the  particulars  of  the  famous  battle  of  Beder, 
the  first  victory  of  the  Saracens  under  the  standard  of 
Mahomet ;  inconsiderable,  perhaps  in  itself,  but  stupen- 
dous in  its  results ;  being  the  commencement  of  a  career 
of  victories  which  changed  the  destinies  of  the  world. 


CHAPTEK  XV1H. 

DEATH  OF  THE  PROPHET'S  DAUGHTER  ROKAI A.— RESTORATION  OF  HIS  DAUGH- 
TER ZEINAB. — EFFECT  OF  THE  PROPHET'S  MALEDICTION  ON  ABrT  LAHAB 
AND  HIS  FAMILY. — FRANTIC  RAGE  OF  HENDA,  THE  WIFE  OF  ABU  SOFIAN.—- 
MAHOMET  NARROWLY  ESCAPES  ASSASSINATION.— EMBASSY  OF  THE  KOBE- 
ISHITES. — THE  KING  OF  ABYSSINIA. 

AHOMET  returned  in  triumph  to  Medina  with 
the  spoils  and  prisoners  taken  in  his  first  bat- 
tle. His  exultation,  however,  was  checked  by 
domestic  grief.  Kokaia,  his  beloved  daughter,  so  recently 
restored  from  exile,  was  no  more.  The  messenger  who 
preceded  Mahomet  with  tidings  of  his  victory,  met  the 
funeral  train  at  the  gate  of  the  city,  bearing  her  body  to 
the  tomb. 

The  affliction  of  the  prophet  was  soothed  shortly  after- 
ward by  the  arrival  from  Mecca  of  his  daughter  Zeinab, 
conducted  by  the  faithful  Zeid.  The  mission  of  Zeid  had 
been  attended  with  difficulties.  The  people  of  Mecca 
were  exasperated  by  the  late  defeat,  and  the  necessity  of 
ransoming  the  prisoners.  Zeid  remained,  therefore,  with- 
out the  walls,  and  sent  in  a  message  to  Kenanah,  the 
brother  of  Abul  Aass,  informing  him  of  the  compact,  and 
appointing  a  place  where  Zeinab  should  be  delivered  into 

174 


RESTORATION  OF  HIS  DAUGHTER   ZEINAB.      175 

his  hands.  Kenanah  set  out  to  conduct  her  thither  in  a 
litter.  On  the  way  he  was  beset  by  a  throng  of  Koreish- 
ites,  determined  to  prevent  the  daughter  of  Mahomet 
from  being  restored  to  him.  In  the  confusion  one  Hab- 
bar  Ibn  Aswad  made  a  thrust  at  the  litter  with  a  lance, 
which,  had  not  Kenanah  parried  it  with  his  bow,  might 
have  proved  fatal  to  Zeinab.  Abu  Sofian  was  attracted 
to  the  place  by  the  noise  and  tumult,  and  rebuked  Ke- 
nanah for  restoring  Mahomet's  daughter  thus  publicly, 
as  it  might  be  construed  into  a  weak  concession ;  Zeinab 
was  taken  back,  therefore,  to  her  home,  and  Kenanah 
delivered  her  up  secretly  to  Zeid  in  the  course  of  the 
following  night. 

Mahomet  was  so  exasperated  at  hearing  of  the  attack 
on  his  daughter,  that  he  ordered  whoever  should  take 
Habbar,  to  burn  him  alive.  When  his  rage  had  subsided 
he  modified  this  command.  "It  is  for  God  alone,"  said 
he,  "  to  punish  man  with  fire.  If  taken,  let  Habbar  be 
put  to  death  with  the  sword." 

The  recent  triumph  of  the  Moslems  at  Beder  struck 
the  Koreishites  of  Mecca  with  astonishment  and  mortifi- 
cation. The  man  so  recently  driven  a  fugitive  from  their 
walls,  had  suddenly  started  up  a  powerful  foe.  Several 
of  their  bravest  and  most  important  men  had  fallen  be- 
neath his  sword  ;  others  were  his  captives,  and  awaited  a 
humiliating  ransom.  Abu  Lahab,  the  uncle  of  Mahomet, 
and  always  his  vehement  opposer,  had  been  unable,  from 
illness,  to  take  the  field.     He  died  a  few  days  after  hear- 


176  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

ing  of  the  victory,  his  death  being  hastened  by  the  exas- 
peration of  his  spirits.  Pious  Moslems,  however,  attrib- 
ute it  to  the  curse  pronounced  by  Mahomet  aforetime  on 
him  and  his  family,  when  he  raised  his  hand  to  hurl  a 
stone  at  the  prophet  on  the  hill  of  Safa.  That  curse,  say 
they,  fell  heavily  also  on  his  son  Otho,  who  had  repu- 
diated the  prophet's  daughter  Eokaia;  he  was  torn  to 
pieces  by  a  lion,  in  the  presence  of  a  whole  caravan,  when 
on  a  journey  to  Syria. 

By  no  one  was  the  recent  defeat  at  Beder  felt  so  se- 
verely as  by  Abu  Sofian,  He  reached  Mecca  in  safety 
with  his  caravan,  it  is  true ;  but  it  was  to  hear  of  the  tri- 
umph of  the  man  he  detested,  and  to  find  his  home  deso- 
late. His  wife  Henda  met  him  with  frantic  lamentations 
for  the  death  of  her  father,  her  uncle,  and  her  brother. 
Bage  mingled  with  her  grief,  and  she  cried  night  and  day 
for  vengeance  on  Hamza  and  Ali,  by  whose  hands  they 
had  fallen.* 

*  It  is  a  received  law  among  all  the  Arabs,  that  whoever  sheds  the 
blood  of  a  man,  owes  blood  on  that  account  to  the  family  of  the  slain  per- 
son. This  ancient  law  is  sanctioned  by  the  Koran.  "  0  true  believers, 
the  law  of  retaliation  is  ordained  to  you  for  the  slain ;  the  free  shall  die 
for  the  free."  The  Blood-revenge,  or  Thar,  as  it  is  termed  in  Arabic,  is 
claimed  by  the  relatives  of  all  who  have  been  killed  in  open  war,  and  not 
merely  of  the  actual  homicide,  but  of  all  his  relations.  For  those  killed 
in  wars  between  two  tribes,  the  price  of  blood  is  required  from  the  per- 
sons who  were  known  to  have  actually  killed  them. 

The  Arab  regards  this  Blood-revenge  as  one  of  his  most  sacred  rights, 
j»s  well  as  duties ;  no  earthly  consideration  could  induce  him  to  give  it  up. 
He  has  a  proverbial  saying,  "  Were  hell-fire  to  be  my  lot,  I  would  not  r&> 
linquish  the  Thar." — See  Burckhwrdt,  v.  i.  314,  Notes. 


NARRO  WL  Y  ESCAPES  ASSASSIN  A  TION.  177 

Abu  Sofian  summoned  two  hundred  fleet  horsemen, 
each  with  a  sack  of  meal  at  his  saddle-bow,  the  scanty 
provisions  of  an  Arab  for  a  foray  ;  as  he  sallied  forth  he 
vowed  neither  to  anoint  his  head,  perfume  his  beard,  nor 
approach  a  female,  until  he  had  met  Mahomet  face  to 
face.  Scouring  the  country  to  within  three  miles  of  the 
gates  of  Medina,  he  slew  two  of  the  prophet's  followers, 
ravaged  the  fields,  and  burnt  the  date-trees. 

Mahomet  sallied  forth  to  meet  him  at  the  head  of  a 
superior  force.  Abu  Sofian,  regardless  of  his  vow,  did 
not  wait  his  approach,  but  turned  bridle  and  fled.  His 
troop  clattered  after  him,  throwing  off  their  sacks  of 
meal  in  the  hurry  of  their  flight ;  whence  this  scamper- 
ing affair  was  derisively  called  "  The  war  of  the  meal 
sacks." 

Moslem  writers  record  an  imminent  risk  of  the  prophet, 
while  yet  in  the  field  on  this  occasion.  He  was  one  day 
sleeping  alone  at  the  foot  of  a  tree,  at  a  distance  from  his 
camp,  when  he  was  awakened  by  a  noise,  and  beheld 
Durthur,  a  hostile  warrior,  standing  over  him  with  a 
drawn  sword.  "O  Mahomet,"  cried  he,  "who  is  there 
now  to  save  thee  ?  "  "  God !  "  replied  the  prophet.  Struck 
with  conviction,  Durthur  let  fall  his  sword,  which  was 
instantly  seized  upon  by  Mahomet.  Brandishing  the 
weapon,  he  exclaimed  in  turn,  "  Who  is  there  now  to 
save  thee,  O  Durthur  ?  "  "  Alas,  no  one ! "  replied  the 
soldier.  "  Then  learn  from  me  to  be  merciful."  So  say- 
ing, he  returned  the  sword.  The  heart  of  the  warrior 
VOL.  1.— 12 


178  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

was  overcome ;  lie  acknowledged  Mahomet  as  the  prophet 
of  God,  and  embraced  the  faith. 

As  if  the  anecdote  were  not  sufficiently  marvelous, 
other  devout  Moslems  affirm  that  the  deliverance  of  Ma- 
homet was  through  the  intervention  of  the  angel  Gabriel, 
who,  at  the  moment  Durthur  was  about  to  strike,  gave 
him  a  blow  on  the  breast  with  his  invisible  hand,  which 
caused  him  to  let  fall  his  sword. 

About  this  time  the  Koreishites  of  Mecca  bethought 
themselves  of  the  relatives  and  disciples  of  Mahomet 
who  had  taken  refuge  from  their  persecutions  in  Abys- 
sinia ;  most  of  whom  still  remained  there  under  the  pro- 
tection of  the  Najashee  or  Abyssinian  king.  To  this  po- 
tentate the  Koreishites  sent  an  embassy  to  obtain  the 
persons  of  the  fugitives.  One  of  the  ambassadors  was 
Abdallah  Ibn  Kabia ;  another  was  Amru  Ibn  Al  Aass,  the 
distinguished  poet  who  had  assailed  Mahomet  at  the  out- 
set of  his  mission  with  lampoons  and  madrigals.  He  was 
now  more  matured  in  years,  and  as  remarkable  for  his 
acute  sagacity  as  for  his  poetic  talents.  He  was  still 
a  redoubtable  opponent  of  the  faith  of  Islam,  of  which  in 
after  years  he  was  to  prove  one  of  the  bravest  and  most 
distinguished  champions. 

Amru  and  Abdallah  opened  their  embassy  in  the  ori- 
ental style  by  the  parade  of  rich  presents,  and  then 
requested,  in  the  name  of  the  Koreish  authorities  of 
Mecca,  that  the  fugitives  might  be  delivered  up  to  them. 
The  king  was  a  just  man,  and  summoned  the  Moslems 


MISSION  TO  ABYSSINIA.  179 

before  him  to  explain  this  new  and  dangerous  heresy  of 
which  they  were  accused.  Among  their  number  was 
Giafar,  or  Jaafar,  the  son  of  Abu  Taleb,  and  brother  of 
Ali,  consequently  the  cousin  of  Mahomet.  He  was  a 
man  of  persuasive  eloquence  and  a  most  prepossessing 
appearance.  He  stood  forth  on  this  occasion,  and  ex- 
pounded the  doctrines  of  Islam  with  zeal  and  power. 
The  king,  who,  as  has  been  observed,  was  a  Nestorian 
Christian,  found  these  doctrines  so  similar  in  many  re- 
spects to  those  of  his  sect,  and  so  opposed  to  the  gross 
idolatry  of  the  Koreishites,  that,  so  far  from  giving  up  the 
fugitives,  he  took  them  more  especially  into  favor  and 
protection,  and  returning  to  Amru  and  Abdallah  the 
presents  they  had  brought,  dismissed  them  from  his 
court. 


CHAPTEK  XIX. 

GROWING  POWER  OF  MAHOMET.— HIS  RESENTMENT  AGAINST  THE  JEWS.—  INSTIL* 
TO  AN  ARAB  DAMSEL  BY  THE  JEWISH  TRIBES  OF  KAINOKA.— A  TUMULT.— THE 
BENI  KAINOKA  TAKE  REFUGE  IN  THEIR  CASTLE.— SUBDUED  AND  PUNISHED 
BY  CONFISCATION  AND  BANISHMENT.  —  MARRIAGE  OF  OTHMAN  TO  THE 
PROPHET'S  DAUGHTER   OMM   KOLTHUM,  AND   OF   THE   PROPHET   TO  HAFZA. 


HE  battle  of  Beder  had  completely  changed  the 
position  of  Mahomet ;  he  was  now  a  triumph- 
ant chief  of  a  growing  power.  The  idolatrous 
tribes  of  Arabia  were  easily  converted  to  a  faith  which 
flattered  their  predatory  inclinations  with  the  hope  of 
spoil,  and  which,  after  all,  professed  but  to  bring  them 
back  to  the  primitive  religion  of  their  ancestors  ;  the  first 
cavalcade,  therefore,  which  entered  the  gates  of  Medina 
with  the  plunder  of  a  camp,  made  converts  of  almost  all 
its  heathen  inhabitants,  and  gave  Mahomet  the  control 
of  the  city.  His  own  tone  now  became  altered,  and  he 
spoke  as  a  lawgiver  and  a  sovereign.  The  first  evidence 
of  this  change  of  feeling  was  in  his  treatment  of  the  Jews, 
of  whom  there  were  three  principal  and  powerful  fami- 
lies in  Medina. 

All  the  concessions  made  by  him  to  that  stiff-necked 

race  had  proved  fruitless ;  they  not  only  remained  stub- 

180 


INSULT  TO  AN  ARAB  DAMSEL.  181 

born  in  unbelief,  but  treated  him  and  his  doctrines  with 
ridicule.  Assma,  the  daughter  of  Merwan,  a  Jewish 
poetess,  wrote  satires  against  him.  She  was  put  to  death 
by  one  of  his  fanatic  disciples.  Abu  Afak,  an  Israelite, 
one  hundred  and  twenty  years  of  age,  was  likewise  slain 
for  indulging  in  satire  against  the  prophet.  Kaab  Ibn 
Aschraf,  another  Jewish  poet,  repaired  to  Mecca  after 
the  battle  of  Beder,  and  endeavored  to  stir  up  the  Kore- 
ishites  to  vengeance,  reciting  verses  in  which  he  extolled 
the  virtues  and  bewailed  the  death  of  those  of  their  tribe 
who  had  fallen  in  the  battle.  Such  was  his  infatuation, 
that  he  recited  these  verses  in  public,  on  his  return  to 
Medina,  and  in  the  presence  of  some  of  the  prophet's 
adherents  who  were  related  to  the  slain.  Stung  by  this 
invidious  hostility,  Mahomet  one  day  exclaimed  in  his 
anger,  "Who  will  rid  me  of  this  son  of  Aschraf?  "  With- 
in a  few  days  afterwards,  Kaab  paid  for  his  poetry  with 
his  life  ;  being  slain  by  a  zealous  Ansarian  of  the  Awsite 
tribe. 

An  event  at  length  occurred  which  caused  the  anger  of 
Mahomet  against  the  Jews  to  break  out  in  open  hostil- 
ity. A  damsel  of  one  of  the  pastoral  tribes  of  Arabs  who 
brought  milk  to  the  city,  was  one  day  in  the  quarter  in- 
habited by  the  Beni  Kainoka,  or  children  of  Kainoka, 
one  of  the  three  principal  Jewish  families.  Here  she 
was  accosted  by  a  number  of  young  Israelites,  who  hav- 
ing heard  her  beauty  extolled,  besought  her  to  uncover 
her  face.     The  damsel   refused  an  act  contrary  to  the 


182  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

laws  of  propriety  among  her  people.  A  young  gold- 
smith, whose  shop  was  hard  by,  secretly  fastened  the 
end  of  her  veil  to  the  bench  on  which  she  was  sitting,  so 
that  when  she  rose  to  depart,  the  garment  remained,  and 
her  face  was  exposed  to  view.  Upon  this  there  was 
laughter  and  scoffing  among  the  young  Israelites,  and  the 
damsel  stood  in  the  midst  confounded  and  abashed.  A 
Moslem  present,  resenting  the  shame  put  upon  her,  drew 
his  sword,  and  thrust  it  through  the  body  of  the  gold- 
smith ;  he  in  his  turn  was  instantly  slain  by  the  Israel- 
ites. The  Moslems  from  a  neighboring  quarter  flew  to 
arms,  the  Beni  Kainoka  did  the  same,  but  being  inferior 
in  numbers,  took  refuge  in  a  stronghold.  Mahomet  in- 
terfered to  quell  the  tumult ;  but,  being  generally  exas- 
perated against  the  Israelites,  insisted  that  the  offending 
tribe  should  forthwith  embrace  the  faith.  They  pleaded 
the  treaty  which  he  had  made  with  them  on  his  coming 
to  Medina,  by  which  they  were  allowed  the  enjoyment  of 
their  religion ;  but  he  was  not  to  be  moved.  For  some 
time  the  Beni  Kainoka  refused  to  yield,  and  remained 
obstinately  shut  up  in  their  stronghold ;  but  famine  com- 
pelled them  to  surrender.  Abdallah  Ibn  Obba  Solul,  the 
leader  of  the  Khazradites,  who  was  a  protector  of  this 
Jewish  tribe,  interfered  in  their  favor,  and  prevented 
their  being  put  to  the  sword ;  but  their  wealth  and  effects 
were  confiscated,  and  they  were  banished  to  Syria,  to  the 
number  of  seven  hundred  men. 

The  arms  and  riches  accruing  to  the  prophet  and  his 


MARRIAGE  WITH  HAFZA.  183 

followers  from  this  confiscation,  were  of  great  avail  in  the 
ensuing  wars  of  the  faith.  Among  the  weapons  which 
fell  to  the  share  of  Mahomet  are  enumerated  three 
swords  :  Medham,  the  Keen  ;  al  Battar,  the  Trenchant ; 
and  Hatef,  the  Deadly.  Two  lances  :  al  Monthari,  the 
Disperser ;  and  al  Monthawi,  the  Destroyer.  A  cuirass 
of  silver,  named  al  Fadha,  and  another  named  al  Saadia, 
said  to  have  been  given  by  Saul  to  David,  when  about  to 
encounter  Goliath.  There  was  a  bow,  too,  called  al  Ca- 
tum,  or  the  Strong ;  but  it  did  not  answer  to  its  name,  for 
in  the  first  battle  in  which  the  prophet  used  it,  he  drew 
it  with  such  force  that  he  broke  it  in  pieces.  In  general, 
he  used  the  Arabian  kind  of  bow,  with  appropriate  ar- 
rows and  lances,  and  forbade  his  followers  to  use  those 
of  Persia. 

Mahomet  now  sought  no  longer  to  conciliate  the  Jews  ; 
on  the  contrary,  they  became  objects  of  his  religious  hos- 
tility. He  revoked  the  regulation  by  which  he  had  made 
Jerusalem  the  Kebla  or  point  of  prayer,  and  established 
Mecca  in  its  place ;  towards  which,  ever  since,  the  Ma- 
hometans turn  their  faces  when  performing  their  devo- 
tions. 

The  death  of  the  prophet's  daughter  Rokaia  had  been 
properly  deplored  by  her  husband  Othman.  To  console 
the  latter  for  his  loss,  Omar,  his  brother  in  arms,  offered 
him,  in  the  course  of  the  year,  his  daughter  Hafza  for 
wife.  She  was  the  widow  of  Hobash,  a  Suhamite,  eigh- 
teen years  of  age,  and  of  tempting  beauty,  yet  Othman 


184  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

declined  the  match.  Omar  was  indignant  at  what  he 
conceived  a  slight  to  his  daughter  and  to  himself,  and 
complained  of  it  to  Mahomet.  "  Be  not  grieved,  Omar," 
replied  the  prophet,  "  a  better  wife  is  destined  for  Oth- 
man,  and  a  better  husband  for  thy  daughter."  He  in 
effect  gave  his  own  daughter  Omm  Kolthum  to  Othman ; 
and  took  the  fair  Hafza  to  wife  himself.  By  these  politic 
alliances  he  grappled  both  Othman  and  Omar  more 
strongly  to  his  side,  while  he  gratified  his  own  inclina- 
tions for  female  beauty.  Hafza,  next  to  Ayesha,  was  the 
most  favored  of  his  wives ;  and  was  intrusted  with  the 
coffer  containing  the  chapters  and  verses  of  the  Koran  as 
they  were  revealed. 


CHAPTEK  XX. 

•TENDA  INCITES  ABU  SOPIAN  AND  THE  KOREISHITES  TO  REVENGE  THE  DEATH 
OF  HER  RELATIONS  SLAIN  IN  THE  BATTLE  OF  BEDER. — THE  KOREISHITES 
SALLY  FORTH,  FOLLOWED  BY  HENDA  AND  HER  FEMALE  COMPANIONS.— BAT- 
TLE OF  OHOD.— FEROCIOUS  TRIUMPH  OF  HEND  A.  —  MAHOMET  CONSOLES 
HIMSELF  BY  MARRYING  HEND,   THE    DAUGHTER    OF    OMEYA. 


S  the  power  of  Mahomet  increased  in  Medina, 
the  hostility  of  the  Koreishites  in  Mecca  aug- 
mented in  virulence.  Abu  Sofian  held  com- 
mand in  the  sacred  city,  and  was  incessantly  urged  to 
warfare  by  his  wife  Henda,  whose  fierce  spirit  could  take 
no  rest,  until  "  blood  revenge  "  had  been  wreaked  on 
those  by  whom  her  father  and  brother  had  been  slain. 
Akrema,  also,  a  son  of  Abu  Jahl,  and  who  inherited  his 
father's  hatred  of  the  prophet,  clamored  for  vengeance. 
In  the  third  year  of  the  Hegira,  therefore,  the  year  after 
the  battle  of  Beder,  Abu  Sofian  took  the  field  at  the  head 
of  three  thousand  men,  most  of  them  Koreishites,  though 
there  were  also  Arabs  of  the  tribes  of  Kanana  and  Te- 
hama. Seven  hundred  were  armed  with  corselets  and 
two  hundred  were  horsemen.  Akrema  was  one  of  the 
captains,  as  was  also  Khaled  Ibn  al  Waled,  a  warrior  of 

indomitable  valor,  who  afterwards  rose  to  great  renown. 

185 


186  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

The  banners  were  borne  in  front  by  the  race  of  Abd  al 
Dar,  a  branch  of  the  tribe  of  Koreish,  who  had  a  heredi- 
tary right  to  the  foremost  place  in  council,  the  foremost 
rank  in  battle,  and  to  bear  the  standard  in  the  advance  of 
the  army. 

In  the  rear  of  the  host  followed  the  vindictive  Henda, 
with  fifteen  principal  women  of  Mecca,  relatives  of  those 
slain  in  the  battle  of  Beder ;  sometimes  filling  the  air 
with  wailings  and  lamentations  for  the  dead ;  at  other 
times  animating  the  troops  with  the  sound  of  timbrels 
and  warlike  chants.  As  they  passed  through  the  village 
of  Abwa,  where  Amina  the  mother  of  Mahomet  was  in- 
terred, Henda  was  with  difficulty  prevented  from  tearing 
the  mouldering  bones  out  of  the  grave. 

Al  Abbas,  the  uncle  of  Mahomet,  who  still  resided  in 
Mecca,  and  was  considered  hostile  to  the  new  faith,  see- 
ing that  destruction  threatened  his  nephew  should  that 
army  come  upon  him  by  surprise,  sent  secretly  a  swift 
messenger  to  inform  him  of  his  danger.  Mahomet  was 
at  the  village  of  Koba,  when  the  message  reached  him. 
He  immediately  hastened  back  to  Medina,  and  called  a 
council  of  his  principal  adherents.  [Representing  the 
insufficiency  of  their  force  to  take  to  the  field,  he  gave  it 
as  his  opinion  that  they  should  await  an  attack  on 
Medina,  where  the  very  women  and  children  could  aid 
them  by  hurling  stones  from  the  house-tops.  The  elder 
among  his  followers  joined  in  his  opinion ;  but  the  young 
men,  of  heady  valor  at  all  times,  and  elated  by  the  late 


BATTLE  OF  OHOD.  187 

victory  at  Beder,  cried  out  for  a  fair  fight  in  the  open 
field. 

Mahomet  yielded  to  their  clamors,  but  his  forces,  when 
mustered,  were  scarce  a  thousand  men;  one  hundred 
only  had  cuirasses,  and  but  two  were  horsemen.  The 
hearts  of  those  recently  so  clamorous  to  sally  forth,  now 
misgave  them,  and  they  would  fain  await  the  encounter 
within  the  walls.  "No,"  replied  Mahomet,  "  it  becomes 
not  a  prophet  when  once  he  has  drawn  the  sword  to 
sheathe  it ;  nor  when  once  he  has  advanced,  to  turn  back, 
until  God  has  decided  between  him  and  the  foe."  So 
saying,  he  led  forth  his  army.  Part  of  it  was  composed 
of  Jews  and  Khazradites,  led  by  Abdallah  Ibn  Obba 
Solul.  Mahomet  declined  the  assistance  of  the  Jews, 
unless  they  embraced  the  faith  of  Islam,  and  as  they 
refused,  he  ordered  them  back  to  Medina ;  upon  which 
their  protector,  Abdallah,  turned  back  also  with  his 
Khazradites ;  thus  reducing  the  army  to  about  seven 
hundred  men. 

With  this  small  force  Mahomet  posted  himself  upon 
the  hill  of  Ohod,  about  six  miles  from  Medina.  His 
position  was  partly  defended  by  rocks  and  the  asperities 
of  the  hill,  and  archers  were  stationed  to  protect  him  in 
flank  and  rear  from  the  attacks  of  cavalry.  He  was 
armed  with  a  helmet  and  two  shirts  of  mail.  On  his 
sword  was  engraved,  "  Fear  brings  disgrace  ;  forward  lies 
honor.  Cowardice  saves  no  man  from  his  fate."  As  he 
was  not  prone  to  take  an  active  part  in  battle,  he  con- 


188  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

fided  his  sword  to  a  brave  warrior,  Abu  Dudjana,  whv 
swore  to  wield  it  as  long  as  it  had  edge  and  temper.  For 
himself,  he,  as  usual,  took  a  commanding  stand  whence 
he  might  overlook  the  field. 

The  Koreishites,  confident  in  their  numbers,  came 
marching  to  the  foot  of  the  hill  with  banners  flying.  Abu 
Sofian  led  the  centre  ;  there  were  a  hundred  horsemen 
on  each  wing ;  the  left  commanded  by  Akrema,  the  son 
of  Abu  Jahl,  the  right  by  Khaled  Ibn  al  Waled.  As 
they  advanced  Henda  and  her  companions  struck  their 
timbrels  and  chanted  their  war  song ;  shrieking  out  at 
intervals  the  names  of  those  who  had  been  slain  in  the 
battle  of  Beder.  "  Courage,  sons  of  Abd  al  Dar  !  "  cried 
they  to  the  standard-bearers,  "forward  to  the  fight! 
close  with  the  foe !  strike  home  and  spare  not.  Sharp 
be  your  swords  and  pitiless  your  hearts !  " 

Mahomet  restrained  the  impatience  of  his  troops ;  or- 
dering them  not  to  commence  the  fight,  but  to  stand 
firm  and  maintain  their  advantage  of  the  rising  ground. 
Above  all,  the  archers  were  to  keep  their  post,  let  the 
battle  go  as  it  might,  lest  the  cavalry  should  fall  upon 
his  rear. 

The  horsemen  of  the  left  wing,  led  by  Akrema,  now  at- 
tempted to  take  the  Moslems  in  flank,  but  were  repulsed 
by  the  archers,  and  retreated  in  confusion.  Fpor  this 
Hamza  set  up  the  Moslem  war-cry,  Amit !  amit !  (Death  I 
death !)  and  rushed  down  with  his  forces  upon  the 
centre.     Abu  Dudjana  was  at  his  right  hand,  armed  with 


BATTLE  OF  OHOD.  189 

the  sword  of  Mahomet,  and  having  a  red  band  round  his 
head,  on  which  was  written,  "  Help  comes  from  God ! 
victory  is  ours !  " 

The  enemy  were  staggered  by  the  shock.  Abu  Dud- 
jana  dashed  into  the  midst  of  them,  dealing  deadly  blows 
on  every  side,  and  exclaiming,  "  The  sword  of  God  and 
his  prophet ! "  Seven  standard-bearers,  of  the  race 
of  Abd  al  Dar,  were,  one  after  the  other,  struck 
down,  and  the  centre  began  to  yield.  The  Moslem 
archers,  thinking  the  victory  secure,  forgot  the  com- 
mands of  Mahomet,  and  leaving  their  post,  dispersed  in 
quest  of  spoil,  crying  "  Booty !  booty !  "  Upon  this 
Khaled,  rallying  the  horse,  got  possession  of  the  ground 
abandoned  by  the  archers,  attacked  the  Moslems  in  rear, 
put  some  to  flight,  and  threw  the  rest  in  confusion.  In 
the  midst  of  the  confusion  a  horseman,  Obbij  Ibn  Chalaf 
by  name,  pressed  through  the  throng,  crying,  "  Where  is 
Mahomet?  There  is  no  safety  while  he  lives."  But 
Mahomet,  seizing  a  lance  from  an  attendant,  thrust  it 
through  the  throat  of  the  idolater,  who  fell  dead  from  his 
horse.  "  Thus,"  says  the  pious  Al  Jannabi,  "  died  this 
enemy  of  God,  who,  some  years  before,  had  menaced  the 
prophet,  saying,  '  I  shall  find  a  day  to  slay  thee.'  '  Have 
care,'  was  the  reply;  'if  it  please  Allah,  thou  thyself 
shall  fall  beneath  my  hand.' " 

In  the  midst  of  the  melee  a  stone  from  a  sling  struck 
Mahomet  on  the  mouth,  cutting  his  lip  and  knocking 
ouf  one  of  his  front  teeth ;  he  was  wounded  in  the  face 


190  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

also  by  an  arrow,  the  iron  head  of  which  remained  in  the 
wound.  Hamza,  too,  while  slaying  a  Koreishite,  was 
transfixed  by  the  lance  of  Waksa,  an  Ethiopian  slave, 
who  had  been  promised  his  freedom  if  he  should  revenge 
the  death  of  his  master,  slain  by  Hamza  in  the  battle  of 
Beder.  Mosaab  Ibn  Omair,  also,  who  bore  the  standard 
of  Mahomet,  was  laid  low,  but  Ali  seized  the  sacred  ban- 
ner and  bore  it  aloft  amidst  the  storm  of  battle. 

As  Mosaab  resembled  the  prophet  in  person,  a  shout 
was  put  up  by  the  enemy  that  Mahomet  was  slain.  The 
Koreishites  were  inspired  with  redoubled  ardor  at  the 
sound ;  the  Moslems  fled  in  despair,  bearing  with  them 
Abu  Beker  and  Omar,  who  were  wounded.  Baab,  the 
son  of  Malek,  however,  beheld  Mahomet  lying  among  the 
wounded  in  a  ditch,  and  knew  him  by  his  armor.  "  Oh 
believers !  "  cried  he,  "  the  prophet  of  God  yet  lives.  To 
the  rescue  !  to  the  rescue  !  "  Mahomet  was  drawn  forth 
and  borne  up  the  hill  to  the  summit  of  a  rock,  where  the 
Moslems  prepared  for  a  desperate  defense.  The  Kore- 
ishites, however,  thinking  Mahomet  slain,  forbore  to  pur- 
sue them,  contenting  themselves  with  plundering  and 
mutilating  the  dead.  Henda  and  her  female  companions 
were  foremost  in  the  savage  work  of  vengeance ;  and  the 
ferocious  heroine  sought  to  tear  out  and  devour  the 
heart  of  Hamza.  Abu  Sofian  bore  a  part  of  the  mangled 
body  upon  his  lance,  and  descending  the  hill  in  triumph, 
exclaimed,  exultingly,  "War  has  its  vicissitudes.  The 
battle  of  Ohod  succeeds  to  the  battle  of  Beder." 


GRIEF  FOB  HAMZA.  191 

The  Koreishites  having  withdrawn,  Mahomet  de- 
scended from  the  rock  and  visited  the  field  of  battle.  At 
sight  of  the  body  of  his  uncle  Hamza  so  brutally  mangled 
and  mutilated,  he  vowed  to  inflict  like  outrage  on  seventy 
of  the  enemy  when  in  his  power.  His  grief,  we  are  told, 
was  soothed  by  the  angel  Gabriel,  who  assured  him  that 
Hamza  was  enregistered  an  inhabitant  of  the  seventh 
heaven,  by  the  title  of  "  The  lion  of  God  and  of  his 
prophet." 

The  bodies  of  the  slain  were  interred  two  and  two,  ana 
three  and  three,  in  the  places  where  they  had  fallen. 
Mahomet  forbade  his  followers  to  mourn  for  the  dead  by 
cutting  off  their  hair,  rending  their  garments,  and  the 
other  modes  of  lamentation  usual  among  the  Arabs  ;  but 
he  consented  that  they  should  weep  for  the  dead,  as 
tears  relieve  the  overladen  heart. 

The  night  succeeding  the  battle  was  one  of  great  dis- 
quietude, lest  the  Koreishites  should  make  another  at- 
tack ;  or  should  surprise  Medina.  On  the  following  day 
he  marched  in  the  direction  of  that  city,  hovering  near 
the  enemy,  and  on  the  return  of  night  lighting  numerous 
watch-fires.  Abu  Sofian,  however,  had  received  intelli- 
gence that  Mahomet  was  still  alive.  He  felt  himself  too 
weak  to  attack  the  city,  therefore,  while  Mahomet  was  in 
the  field,  and  might  come  to  its  assistance ;  and  he 
feared  that  the  latter  might  be  reinforced  by  its  inhabi- 
tants, and  seek  him  with  superior  numbers.  Contenting 
himself,  therefore,  with  the  recent  victory,  he  made  a 


192  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

truce  with  the  Moslems  for  a  year,  and  returned  in  tri- 
umph to  Mecca. 

Mahomet  sought  consolation  for  this  mortifying  defeat 
by  taking  to  himself  another  wife,  Hend,  the  daughter  of 
Omeya,  a  man  of  great  influence.  She  was  a  widow,  and 
had,  with  her  husband,  been  among  the  number  of  the 
fugitives  in  Abyssinia.  She  was  now  twenty-eight  years  of 
age,  and  had  a  son  named  Salma,  whence  she  was  com- 
monly called  Omm  Salma,  or  the  Mother  of  Salma.  Being 
distinguished  for  grace  and  beauty,  she  had  been  sought 
by  Abu  Beker  and  Omar,  but  without  success.  Even 
Mahomet  at  first  met  with  difficulty.  "  Alas !  "  said  she, 
"  what  happiness  can  the  prophet  of  God  expect  with 
me  ?  I  am  no  longer  young ;  I  have  a  son,  and  I  am  of  a 
jealous  disposition."  "  As  to  thy  age,"  replied  Mahomet, 
"  thou  art  much  younger  than  I.  As  to  thy  son,  I  will  be 
a  father  to  him  ;  as  to  thy  jealous  disposition,  I  will 
pray  Allah  to  root  it  from  thy  heart." 

A  separate  dwelling  was  prepared  for  the  bride,  adja- 
cent to  the  mosque.  The  household  goods,  as  stated  by 
a  Moslem  writer,  consisted  of  a  sack  of  barley,  a  hand- 
mill,  a  pan,  and  a  pot  of  lard  or  butter.  Such  were  as 
yet  the  narrow  means  of  the  prophet ;  or  rather,  such  the 
frugality  of  his  habits  and  the  simplicity  of  Arab  life. 


CHAPTEK  XXI. 

TREACHERY  OF  CERTAIN  JEWISH  TRIBES  ;  THEIR  PUNISHMENT.— DEVOTION  OF 
THE  PROPHET'S  FREEDMAN  ZEID  ;  DIVORCES  HIS  BEAUTIFUL  WIFE  ZEINAB, 
THAT   SHE   MAY   BECOME   THE   WIFE   OF   THE   PROPHET. 

HE  defeat  of  Mahomet  at  the  battle  of  Ohod, 
acted   for    a   time    unfavorably    to    his    cause 
among  some   of  the  Arab   and  Jewish  tribes, 
as  was  evinced  by  certain  acts  of  perfidy.     The  inhabi- 
tants of  two  towns,  Adhal  and  Kara,  sent  a  deputation  to 
him,  professing  an  inclination  to  embrace  the  faith,  and 
requesting  missionaries  to  teach  them  its  doctrines.     He 
accordingly  sent  six  disciples  to  accompany  the  deputa- 
tion ;  but  on  the  journey,  while  reposing  by  the   brook 
Eadje   within   the   boundaries   of    the   Hodseitites,   the 
deputies  fell  upon  the  unsuspecting  Moslems,  slew  four 
of  them,  and  carried  the  other  two  to  Mecca,  where  they 
gave  them  up  to  the  Koreishites,  who  put  them  to  death. 
A  similar  act  of  treachery  was  practiced  by  the  people 
of  the  province  of  Nadjed.     Pretending  to  be  Moslems, 
they  sought  succor  from  Mahomet  against  their  enemies. 
He  sent  a  number  of  his  followers  to  their  aid,  who  were 
attacked  by  the   Beni   Suleim   or  Suleimites,  near  the 
vol.  i.— 13  193 


194  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

brook  Manna,  about  four  days'  journey  from  Medina, 
and  slain  almost  to  a  man.  One  of  the  Moslems,  Ainru 
Ibn  Omeya,  escaped  the  carnage  and  made  for  Medina. 
On  the  way  he  met  two  unarmed  Jews  of  the  Beni  Amir ; 
either  mistaking  these  for  enemies,  or  provoked  to 
wanton  rage  by  the  death  of  his  comrades,  he  fell  upon 
them  and  slew  them.  The  tribe,  who  were  at  peace  with 
Mahomet,  called  upon  him  for  redress.  He  referred  the 
matter  to  the  mediation  of  another  Jewish  tribe,  the 
Beni  Nadher,  who  had  rich  possessions  and  a  castle, 
called  Zohra,  within  three  miles  of  Medina.  This  tribe 
had  engaged  by  a  treaty,  when  he  came  a  fugitive  from 
Mecca,  to  maintain  a  neutrality  between  him  and  his 
opponents.  The  chief  of  this  tribe  being  now  applied  to 
as  a  mediator,  invited  Mahomet  to  an  interview.  He 
went,  accompanied  by  Abu  Beker,  Omar,  Ali,  and  a  few 
others.  A  repast  was  spread  in  the  open  air  before  the 
mansion  of  the  chief.  Mahomet,  however,  received  pri- 
vate information  that  he  had  been  treacherously  decoyed 
hither,  and  was  to  be  slain  as  he  sat  at  the  repast :  it  is 
said  that  he  was  to  be  crushed  by  a  mill-stone,  flung 
from  the  terraced  roof  of  the  house.  "Without  intimating 
his  knowledge  of  the  treason,  he  left  the  company  ab- 
ruptly, and  hastened  back  to  Medina. 

His  rage  was  now  kindled  against  the  whole  race  of 
Nadher,  and  he  ordered  them  to  leave  the  country  within 
ten  days  on  pain  of  death.  They  would  have  departed, 
but  Abdallah  the  Khazradite  secretly  persuaded  them  to 


BANISHMENT  OF  THE  JEWS.  195 

stay  by  promising  them  aid.  He  failed  in  his  promise. 
The  Beni  Nadher,  thus  disappointed  by  the  "  Chief  of 
the  Hypocrites,"  shut  themselves  up  in  their  castle  of 
Zohra,  where  they  were  besieged  by  Mahomet,  who  cut 
dovni  and  burnt  the  date-trees,  on  which  they  depended 
for  supplies.  At  the  end  of  six  days  they  capitulated, 
and  were  permitted  to  depart,  each  with  a  camel  load  of 
effects,  arms  excepted.  Some  were  banished  to  Syria, 
others  to  Khaibar,  a  strong  Jewish  city  and  fortress,  dis- 
tant several  days'  journey  from  Medina.  As  the  tribe 
was  wealthy,  there  was  great  spoil,  which  Mahomet  took 
entirely  to  himself.  His  followers  demurred  that  this  was 
contrary  to  the  law  of  partition  revealed  in  the  Koran ; 
but  he  let  them  know  that  according  to  another  revela- 
tion, all  booty  gained,  like  the  present,  without  striking 
a  blow,  was  not  won  by  man,  but  was  a  gift  from  God, 
and  must  be  delivered  over  to  the  prophet  to  be  ex- 
pended by  him  in  good  works,  and  the  relief  of  orphans, 
of  the  poor,  and  the  traveller.  Mahomet,  in  effect,  did 
not  appropriate  it  to  his  own  benefit,  but  shared  it 
among  the  Mohadjerins,  or  exiles  from  Mecca  ;  two  Nad- 
herite  Jews  who  had  embraced  Islamism,  and  two  or 
three  Ansarians  or  Auxiliaries  of  Medina,  who  had 
proved  themselves  worthy,  and  were  poor. 

We  forbear  to  enter  into  details  of  various  petty  expe- 
ditions of  Mahomet  about  this  time,  one  of  which  ex- 
tended to  the  neighborhood  of  Tabuk,  on  the  Syrian 
frontier,  to  punish  a  horde  which  had    plundered  the 


196  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

caravans  of  Medina.  These  expeditions  were  checkered 
in  their  results,  though  mostly  productive  of  booty; 
which  now  began  to  occupy  the  minds  of  the  Moslems, 
almost  as  much  as  the  propagation  of  the  faith.  The 
spoils  thus  suddenly  gained  may  have  led  to  riot  and 
debauchery,  as  we  find  a  revelation  of  the  passage  of  the 
Koran,  forbidding  wine  and  games  of  hazard,  those  fruit- 
ful causes  of  strife  and  insubordination  in  predatory 
camps. 

During  this  period  of  his  career,  Mahomet  in  more 
than  one  instance  narrowly  escaped  falling  by  the  hand 
of  an  assassin.  He  himself  is  charged  with  the  use  of 
insidious  means  to  rid  himself  of  an  enemy ;  for  it  is  said 
that  he  sent  Amru  Ibn  Omeya  on  a  secret  errand  to 
Mecca,  to  assassinate  Abu  Sofian,  but  that  the  plot  was 
discovered,  and  the  assassin  only  escaped  by  rapid  flight. 
The  charge,  however,  is  not  well  substantiated,  and  is 
contrary  to  his  general  character  and  conduct. 

If  Mahomet  had  relentless  enemies,  he  had  devoted 
friends,  an  instance  of  which  we  have  in  the  case  of  his 
freedman  and  adopted  son  Zeid  Ibn  Horeth.  He  had 
been  one  of  the  first  converts  to  the  faith,  and  one  of  its 
most  valiant  champions.  Mahomet  consulted  him  on  all 
occasions,  and  employed  him  in  his  domestic  concerns. 
One  day  he  entered  his  house  with  the  freedom  with 
which  a  father  enters  the  dwelling  of  a  son.  Zeid  was 
absent,  but  Zeinab  his  wife,  whom  he  had  recently  mar- 
ried, was  at  home.     She  was  the  daughter  of  Djasch,  of 


ZEINAB.  197 

the  country  of  Kaiba,  and  considered  the  fairest  of  her 
tribe.  In  the  privacy  of  home  she  had  laid  aside  her  veil 
and  part  of  her  attire,  so  that  her  beauty  stood  revealed 
to  the  gaze  of  Mahomet  on  his  sudden  entrance.  He 
could  not  refrain  from  expressions  of  wonder  and  ad- 
miration, to  which  she  made  no  reply,  but  repeated  them 
all  to  her  husband  on  his  return.  Zeid  knew  the  amor- 
ous susceptibility  of  Mahomet,  and  saw  that  he  had  been 
captivated  by  the  beauty  of  Zeinab.  Hastening  after 
him,  he  offered  to  repudiate  his  wife ;  but  the  prophet 
forbade  it  as  contrary  to  the  law.  The  zeal  of  Zeid  was 
not  to  be  checked ;  he  loved  his  beautiful  wife,  but  he 
venerated  the  prophet,  and  he  divorced  himself  without 
delay.  When  the  requisite  term  of  separation  had 
elapsed,  Mahomet  accepted  with  gratitude  his  pious  sac- 
rifice. His  nuptials  with  Zeinab  surpassed  in  splendor 
all  his  other  marriages.  His  doors  were  open  to  all 
comers ;  they  were  feasted  with  the  flesh  of  sheep  and 
lambs,  with  cakes  of  barley,  with  honey,  and  fruits,  and 
favorite  beverages ;  so  they  ate  and  drank  their  fill  and 
then  departed — railing  against  the  divorce  as  shameful, 
and  the  marriage  as  incestuous. 

At  this  critical  juncture  was  revealed  that  part  of  the 
thirty-third  chapter  of  the  Koran,  distinguishing  rela- 
tives by  adoption  from  relatives  by  blood,  according  to 
which  there  was  no  sin  in  marrying  one  who  had  been 
the  wife  of  an  adopted  son.  This  timely  revelation  paci- 
fied the  faithful ;  but,  to  destroy  all  shadow  of  a  scruple, 


198  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

Mahomet  revoked  his  adoption,  and  directed  Zeid  to 
resume  his  original  appellation  of  Ibn  Hareth,  after  his 
natural  father.  The  beautiful  Zeinab,  however,  boasted 
thenceforth  a  superiority  over  the  other  wives  of  the 
prophet  on  the  score  of  the  revelation,  alleging  that  her 
marriage  was  ordained  by  heaven.* 

*  This  was  Mahomet's  second  wife  of  the  name  of  Zeinab  ;  the  first, 
who  had  died  some  time  previous,  was  the  daughter  of  Chuzeima. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

EXPEDITION  OP  MAHOMET  AGAINST  THE  BENI  MOSTALEK.— HE  ESPOUSES  BASRA, 
A  CAPTIVE. — TREACHERY  OP  ABDALLAH  IBN  OBBA. — AYESHA  SLANDERED.—. 
HER  VINDICATION. — HER  INNOCENCE  PROVED  BY  A  REVELATION. 

pplllPpMONG  the  Arab  tribes  which  ventured  to  take 
^^Eg'  up  arms  against  Mahomet  after  his  defeat  at 
fpljgllfj  Ohod,  were  the  Beni  Mostalek,  a  powerful  race 
of  Koreishite  origin.  Mahomet  received  intelligence  of 
their  being  assembled  in  warlike  guise  under  their  prince 
Al  Hareth,  near  the  wells  of  Moraisi,  in  the  territory  of 
Kedaid,  and  within  five  miles  of  the  Red  Sea.  He  im- 
mediately took  the  field  at  the  head  of  a  chosen  band  of 
the  faithful,  accompanied  by  numbers  of  the  Khazradites, 
led  by  their  chief  Abdallah  Ibn  Obba.  By  a  rapid  move- 
ment he  surprised  the  enemy ;  Al  Hareth  was  killed  at 
the  onset  by  the  flight  shot  of  an  arrow ;  his  troops  fled 
in  confusion  after  a  brief  resistance,  in  which  a  few  were 
slain.  Two  hundred  prisoners,  five  thousand  sheep,  and 
one  thousand  camels,  were  the  fruits  of  this  easy  victory. 
Among  the  captives  was  Barra,  the  daughter  of  Al 
Hareth,  and  wife  to  a  young  Arab  of  her  kin.  In  the 
division  of  the  spoil  she  fell  to  the  lot  of  Thabet  Ibn 
Reis,  who  demanded  a  high  ransom.     The  captive  ap- 

199 


200  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

pealed  to  Mahomet  against  this  extortion,  and  prayed 
that  the  ransom  might  be  mitigated.  The  prophet  re- 
garded her  with  eyes  of  desire,  for  she  was  fair  to  look 
upon.  "I  can  serve  thee  better,"  said  he,  "  than  by  abat- 
ing thy  ransom :  be  my  wife."  The  beautiful  Barra  gave 
ready  consent ;  her  ransom  was  paid  by  the  prophet  to 
Thabet ;  her  kindred  were  liberated  by  the  Moslems,  to 
whose  lot  they  had  fallen ;  most  of  them  embraced  the 
faith,  and  Barra  became  the  wife  of  Mahomet  after  his 
return  to  Medina. 

After  the  battle,  the  troops  crowded  round  the  wells  of 
Moraisi  to  assuage  their  thirst.  In  the  press  a  quarrel 
rose  between  some  of  the  Mohajerins,  or  exiles  of  Mecca, 
and  the  Khazradites,  in  which  one  of  the  latter  received 
a  blow.  His  comrades  rushed  to  revenge  the  insult,  and 
blood  would  have  been  shed  but  for  the  interference  of 
Mahomet.  The  Khazradites  remained  incensed,  and 
other  of  the  people  of  Medina  made  common  cause  with 
them.  Abdallah  Ibn  Obba,  eager  to  take  advantage  of 
every  circumstance  adverse  to  the  rising  power  of  Ma- 
homet, drew  his  kindred  and  townsfolk  apart.  "  Behold," 
said  he,  "  the  insults  you  have  brought  upon  yourselves 
by  harboring  these  fugitive  Koreishites.  You  have 
taken  them  to  your  houses,  and  given  them  your  goods, 
and  now  they  turn  upon  and  maltreat  you.  They  would 
make  themselves  your  masters  even  in  your  own  house ; 
but  by  Allah,  when  we  return  to  Medina,  we  will  see 
which  of  us  is  strongest." 


TREACHERY  OF  ABD ALLAH  IBN  OBBA.  201 

Secret  word  was  brought  to  Mahomet  of  this  seditious 
speech.  Omar  counselled  him  at  once  to  make  way  with 
Abdallah ;  but  the  prophet  feared  to  excite  the  ven- 
geance of  the  kindred  and  adherents  of  the  powerful 
Khazradite.  To  leave  no  time  for  mutiny,  he  set  off  im- 
mediately on  the  homeward  march,  although  it  was  in 
the  heat  of  the  day,  and  continued  on  throughout  the 
night,  nor  halted  until  the  following  noon,  when  the 
wearied  soldiery  cared  for  nothing  but  repose. 

On  arriving  at  Medina,  he  called  Abdallah  to  account 
for  his  seditious  expressions.  He  flatly  denied  them, 
pronouncing  the  one  who  had  accused  him  a  liar.  A 
revelation  from  heaven,  however,  established  the  charge 
against  him  and  his  adherents.  "  These  are  the  men," 
says  the  Koran,  "who  say  to  the  inhabitants  of  Me^ 
dina,  do  not  bestow  anything  on  the  refugees  who  are 
with  the  apostle  of  God,  that  they  may  be  compelled  to 
separate  from  him.  They  say,  verily,  if  we  return  to 
Medina,  the  worthier  will  expel  thence  the  meaner.  God 
curse  them !  how  are  they  turned  aside  from  the  truth." 

Some  of  the  friends  of  Abdallah,  convinced  by  this 
revelation,  advised  him  to  ask  pardon  of  the  prophet ; 
but  he  spurned  their  counsel.  "  You  have  already,"  said 
he,  "  persuaded  me  to  give  this  man  my  countenance  and 
friendship,  and  now  you  would  have  me  put  myself  be- 
neath his  very  feet." 

Nothing  could  persuade  him  that  Mahomet  was  not  an 
idolater  at  heart,  and  his  revelations  all  imposture  and 


202  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

deceit.  He  considered  him,  however,  a  formidable  rival, 
and  sought  in  every  way  to  injure  and  annoy  him.  To 
this  implacable  hostility  is  attributed  a  scandalous  story 
which  he  propagated  about  Ayesha,  the  favorite  wife  of 
the  prophet. 

It  was  the  custom  with  Mahomet  always  to  have  one 
of  his  wives  with  him,  on  his  military  expeditions,  as 
companion  and  solace ;  she  was  taken  by  lot,  and  on  the 
recent  occasion  the  lot  had  fallen  on  Ayesha.  She  trav- 
elled in  a  litter,  inclosed  by  curtains,  and  borne  on  the 
back  of  a  camel,  which  was  led  by  an  attendant.  On  the 
return  homeward  the  army,  on  one  occasion,  coming  to  a 
halt,  the  attendants  of  Ayesha  were  astonished  to  find 
the  litter  empty.  Before  they  had  recovered  from  their 
surprise,  she  arrived  on  a  camel,  led  by  a  youthful  Arab 
named  Safwan  Ibn  al  Moattel.  This  circumstance  hav- 
ing come  to  the  knowledge  of  Abdallah,  he  proclaimed  it 
to  the  world  after  his  return  to  Medina,  affirming  that 
Ayesha  had  been  guilty  of  wantonness  with  the  youthful 
Safwan. 

The  story  was  eagerly  caught  up  and  circulated  by 
Hamna,  the  sister  of  the  beautiful  Zeinab,  whom  Ma- 
homet had  recently  espoused,  and  who  hoped  to  benefit 
her  sister  by  the  downfall  of  her  deadly  rival  Ayesha ;  it 
was  echoed  also  by  Mistah,  a  kinsman  of  Abu  Beker,  and 
was  celebrated  in  satirical  verses  by  a  poet  named  Hasan. 

It  was  some  time  before  Ayesha  knew  of  the  scandal 
thus  circulating  at  her  expense.     Sickness  had  confined 


SCANDAL  AGAINST  AYESHA.  203 

her  to  the  house  on  her  return  to  Medina,  and  no  one 
ventured  to  tell  her  of  what  she  was  accused.  She  re- 
marked, however,  that  the  prophet  was  stern  and  silent, 
and  no  longer  treated  her  with  his  usual  tenderness.  On 
her  recovery,  she  heard  with  consternation  the  crime 
alleged  against  her,  and  protested  her  innocence.  The 
following  is  her  version  of  the  story. 

The  army,  on  its  homeward  march,  had  encamped  not 
far  from  Medina,  when  orders  were  given  in  the  night  to 
march.  The  attendants,  as  usual,  brought  a  camel  be- 
fore the  tent  of  Ayesha,  and  placing  the  litter  on  the 
ground,  retired  until  she  could  take  her  seat  within  it. 
As  she  was  about  to  enter,  she  missed  her  necklace,  and 
returned  into  the  tent  to  seek  it.  In  the  meantime  the 
attendants  lifted  the  litter  upon  the  camel  and  strapped 
it  fast,  not  perceiving  that  it  was  empty ;  she  being  slen- 
der and  of  light  weight.  When  she  returned  from  seek- 
ing the  necklace,  the  camel  was  gone,  and  the  army  was 
on  the  march ;  whereupon  she  wrapped  herself  in  her 
mantle  and  sat  down,  trusting  that,  when  her  absence 
should  be  discovered,  some  persons  would  be  sent  back 
in  quest  of  her. 

While  thus  seated,  Safwan  Ibn  al  Moattel,  the  young 
Arab,  being  one  of  the  rear-guard,  came  up,  and,  recog- 
nizing her,  accosted  her  with  the  usual  Moslem  saluta- 
tion. "  To  God  we  belong,  and  to  God  we  must  return ! 
Wife  of  the  prophet,  why  dost  thou  remain  behind?" 

Ayesha  made  no  reply,  but  drew  her  veil  closer  over 


204  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

her  face.  Safwan  then  alighted,  aided  her  to  mount  the 
camel,  and,  taking  the  bridle,  hastened  to  rejoin  the 
army.  The  sun  had  risen,  however,  before  he  overtook 
it,  just  without  the  walls  of  Medina. 

This  account,  given  by  Ayesha,  and  attested  by  Safwan 
Ibn  al  Moattel,  was  satisfactory  to  her  parents  and  par- 
ticular friends,  but  was  scoffed  at  by  Abdallah  and  his 
adherents,  "the  Hypocrites."  Two  parties  thus  arose 
on  the  subject,  and  great  strife  ensued.  As  to  Ayesha, 
she  shut  herself  up  within  her  dwelling,  refusing  all  food, 
and  weeping  day  and  night  in  the  bitterness  of  her  soul. 

Mahomet  was  sorely  troubled  in  mind,  and  asked  coun- 
sel of  Ali  in  his  perplexity.  The  latter  made  light  of 
the  affair,  observing  that  his  misfortune  was  the  frequent 
lot  of  man.  The  prophet  was  but  little  consoled  by  this 
suggestion.  He  remained  separated  from  Ayesha  for  a 
month  ;  but  his  heart  yearned  toward  her  ;  not  merely  on 
account  of  her  beauty,  but  because  he  loved  her  society. 
In  a  paroxysm  of  grief,  he  fell  into  one  of  those  trances, 
which  unbelievers  have  attributed  to  epilepsy;  in  the 
course  of  which  he  received  a  seasonable  revelation, 
which  will  be  found  in  a  chapter  of  the  Koran.  It  was  to 
this  effect : — 

They  who  accuse  a  reputable  female  of  adultery,  and 
produce  not  four  witnesses  of  the  fact,  shall  be  scourged 
with  fourscore  stripes,  and  their  testimony  rejected.  As 
to  those  who  have  made  the  charge  against  Ayesha,  have 
they  produced  four  witnesses  thereof  ?     If  they  have  not, 


SLANDERERS  PUNISHED.  205 

they  are  liars  in  the  sight  of  God.  Let  them  receive, 
therefore,  the  punishment  of  their  crime. 

The  innocence  of  the  beautiful  Ayesha  being  thus  mi- 
raculously made  manifest,  the  prophet  took  her  to  his 
bosom  with  augmented  affection.  Nor  was  he  slow  in 
dealing  the  prescribed  castigation.  It  is  true,  Abdallah 
Ibn  Obba  was  too  powerful  a  personage  to  be  subjected 
to  the  scourge,  but  it  fell  the  heavier  on  the  shoulders  of 
his  fellow  calumniators.  The  poet  Hasan  was  cured  for 
some  time  of  his  propensity  to  make  satirical  verses,  nor 
could  Hamna,  though  a  female,  and  of  great  personal 
charms,  escape  the  infliction  of  stripes  ;  for  Mahomet  ob- 
served that  such  beauty  should  have  been  accompanied 
by  a  gentler  nature. 

The  revelation  at  once  convinced  the  pious  Ali  of  the 
purity  of  Ayesha ;  but  she  never  forgot  nor  forgave  that 
he  had  doubted ;  and  the  hatred  thus  implanted  in  her 
bosom  was  manifested  to  his  great  detriment  in  many  of 
the  most  important  concerns  of  his  after  life. 


CHAPTEE  XXHI. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  MOAT. — BRAVERY  OF  SAAD  IBN  MOAD. — DEFEAT  OF  THE 
KOREISHITES.— CAPTURE  OF  THE  JEWISH  CASTLE  OF  KORAIDA.— SAAD  DE- 
CIDES AS  TO  THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  THE  JEWS.— MAHOMET  ESPOUSES  RI- 
HANA,  A  JEWISH  CAPTIVE.— HIS  LIFE  ENDANGERED  BY  SORCERY;  SAVED 
BY  A  REVELATION    OF    THE  ANGEL  GABRIEL. 

UEING  the  year  of  truce  which  succeeded  the 
battle  of  Ohod,  Abu  Sofian,  the  restless  chief 
of  the  Koreishites,  formed  a  confederacy  with 
the  Arab  tribe  of  Ghatafan  and  other  tribes  of  the  desert, 
as  well  as  with  many  of  the  Jews  of  the  race  of  Nadher, 
whom  Mahomet  had  driven  from  their  homes.  The  truce 
being  ended,  he  prepared  to  march  upon  Medina,  with 
these  confederates,  their  combined  forces  amounting  to 
ten  thousand  men. 

Mahomet  had  early  intelligence  of  the  meditated  at- 
tack, but  his  late  reverse  at  Ohod  made  him  wary  of 
taking  the  field  against  such  numbers;  especially  as  he 
feared  the  enemy  might  have  secret  allies  in  Medina ; 
where  he  distrusted  the  Jewish  inhabitants  and  the 
Hypocrites,  the  partisans  of  Abdallah  Ibn  Obba,  who 
were  numerous  and  powerful. 

Great  exertions  were  now  made  to  put  the  city  in  a 

206 


DIGGING  A  MOAT.  207 

state  of  defense.  Salman  the  Persian,  who  had  embraced 
the  faith,  advised  that  a  deep  moat  should  be  digged  at 
some  distance  beyond  the  wall,  on  the  side  on  which  the 
enemy  would  approach.  This  mode  of  defense,  hitherto 
unused  in  Arabia,  was  eagerly  adopted  by  Mahomet ;  who 
set  a  great  number  of  men  to  dig  the  moat,  and  even  as- 
sisted personally  in  the  labor.  Many  miracles  are  re- 
corded of  him  during  the  progress  of  this  work.  At  one 
time,  it  is  said,  he  fed  a  great  multitude  from  a  single 
basket  of  dates  ;  which  remained  full  after  all  were  satis- 
fied. At  another  time  he  feasted  a  thousand  men  upon  a 
roasted  lamb  and  a  loaf  of  barley  bread ;  yet  enough  re- 
mained for  all  his  fellow-laborers  in  the  moat.  Nor  must 
we  omit  to  note  the  wonderful  blows  which  he  gave  to  a 
rock,  with  an  iron  mallet ;  striking  off  sparks  which  in 
one  direction  lighted  up  all  Yemen,  or  Arabia  the  Happy; 
in  another,  revealed  the  imperial  palace  of  Constanti- 
nople ;  and  in  a  third,  illumined  the  towers  of  the  royal 
residents  of  Persia ;  all  signs  and  portents  of  the  future 
conquests  of  Islam. 

Scarcely  was  the  moat  completed  when  the  enemy  ap- 
peared in  great  force  on  the  neighboring  hills.  Leaving 
Ibn  Omm  Mactum,  a  trusty  officer,  to  command  in  the 
city,  and  keep  a  vigilant  eye  on  the  disaffected,  Mahomet 
sallied  forth  with  three  thousand  men,  whom  he  formed 
in  battle  array,  having  the  deep  moat  in  front.  Abu 
Sofian  advanced  confidently  with  his  combined  force  of 
Koreishites    and    Ghatafanites,   but    was    unexpectedly 


208  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

checked  by  the  moat,  and  by  a  galling  fire  from  the  Mos- 
lems drawn  up  beyond  it.  The  enemy  now  encamped; 
the  Koreishites  in  the  lower  part  of  the  valley,  and  the 
Ghatafanites  in  the  upper  ;  and  for  some  days  the  armies 
remained  on  each  side  of  the  moat,  keeping  up  a  distant 
combat  with  slings  and  stones,  and  flights  of  arrows. 

In  the  meantime,  spies  brought  word  to  Mahomet  that 
a  Jewish  tribe,  the  Beni  Koraicla,  who  had  a  strong  castle 
near  the  city,  and  had  made  a  covenant  of  peace  with 
him,  were  in  secret  league  with  the  enemy.  He  now  saw 
the  difficulty,  with  his  scanty  forces,  to  man  the  whole 
extent  of  the  moat ;  to  guard  against  a  perfidious  attack 
from  the  Koraidites ;  and  to  maintain  quiet  in  the  city, 
where  the  Jews  must  have  secret  confederates.  Summon- 
ing a  council  of  war,  he  consulted  with  his  captains  on 
the  policy  of  bribing  the  Ghatafanites  to  a  separate 
peace,  by  offering  them  a  third  of  the  date-harvest  of 
Medina.  Upon  this,  Saad  Ibn  Moad,  a  stout  leader  of 
the  Awsites  of  Medina,  demanded :  "  Do  you  propose  this 
by  the  command  of  Allah,  or  is  it  an  idea  of  your  own? " 
"  If  it  had  been  a  command  of  Allah,"  replied  Mahomet, 
"I  should  never  have  asked  your  advice.  I  see  you 
pressed  by  enemies  on  every  side,  and  I  seek  to  break 
their  confederacy."  "  O  prophet  of  God ! "  rejoined  Saad, 
"when  we  were  fellow-idolaters  with  these  people  of 
Ghatafan,  they  got  none  of  our  dates  without  paying  for 
them ;  and  shall  we  give  them  up  gratuitously  now  that 
we  are  of  the  true  faith,  and  led  by  thee  ?    No,  by  Allah  ! 


BATTLE  OF  THE  MOAT.  209 

ff  they  want  our  dates  they  must  win  them  with  their 
swords." 

The  stout  Saad  had  his  courage  soon  put  to  the  proof. 
A  prowling  party  of  Koreishite  horsemen,  among  whom 
was  Akrema,  the  son  of  Abu  Jahl,  and  Amru,  uncle  of 
Mahomet's  first  wife  Cadijah,  discovered  a  place  where 
the  moat  was  narrow,  and  putting  spurs  to  their  steeds 
succeeded  in  leaping  over,  followed  by  some  of  their 
comrades.  They  then  challenged  the  bravest  of  the 
Moslems  to  equal  combat.  The  challenge  was  accepted 
by  Saad  Ibn  Moad,  by  Ali,  and  several  of  their  compan- 
ions. Ali  had  a  close  combat  with  Amru ;  they  fought  on 
horseback  and  on  foot,  until,  grappling  with  each  other, 
they  rolled  in  the  dust.  In  the  end,  Ali  was  victorious 
and  slew  his  foe.  The  general  conflict  was  maintained 
with  great  obstinacy;  several  were  slain  on  both  sides, 
and  Saad  Ibn  Moad  was  severely  wounded.  At  length 
the  Koreishites  gave  way,  and  spurred  their  horses  to 
recross  the  moat.  The  steed  of  one  of  them,  Nawfal  Ibn 
Abdallah,  leaped  short;  his  rider  was  assailed  with 
stones  while  in  the  moat,  and  defied  the  Moslems  to 
attack  him  with  nobler  weapons.  In  an  instant  Ali 
sprang  down  into  the  moat,  and  Nawfal  soon  fell  beneath 
his  sword.  Ali  then  joined  his  companions  in  pursuit  of 
the  retreating  foe,  and  wounded  Akrema  with  a  javelin. 
The  skirmish  was  dignified  with  the  name  of  the  Battle 
of  the  Moat. 

Mahomet,  still  unwilling  to  venture  a  pitched  battle, 
VOL.  i.— 14  • 


210  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

sent  Kueim,  a  secretly  converted  Arab  of  the  tribe  of 
Ghatafan,  to  visit  the  camps  of  the  confederates,  and 
artfully  to  sow  dissensions  among  them.  Kueim  first 
repaired  to  the  Koraidites,  with  whom  he  was  in  old 
habits  of  friendship.  "What  folly  is  this,"  said  he,  "to 
suffer  yourselves  to  be  drawn  by  the  Koreishites  of 
Mecca  into  their  quarrel !  Bethink  you  how  different  is 
your  situation  from  theirs !  If  defeated,  they  have  only 
to  retreat  to  Mecca,  and  be  secure.  Their  allies  from  the 
desert  will  also  retire  to  their  distant  homes,  and  you 
will  be  left  to  bear  the  whole  brunt  of  the  vengeance  of 
Mahomet  and  the  people  of  Medina.  Before  you  make 
common  cause  with  them,  therefore,  let  them  pledge 
themselves  and  give  hostages,  never  to  draw  back  until 
they  have  broken  the  power  of  Mahomet." 

He  then  went  to  the  Koreishites  and  the  tribe  of 
Ghatafan,  and  warned  them  against  confiding  in  the  Jews 
of  Koraida,  who  intended  to  get  hostages  from  them,  and 
deliver  them  up  into  the  hands  of  Mahomet. 

The  distrust  thus  artfully  sown  among  the  confeder- 
ates soon  produced  its  effects.  Abu  Sofian  sent  word  on 
Friday  evening,  to  the  Koraidites,  to  be  ready  to  join  next 
morning  in  a  general  assault.  The  Jews  replied,  that  the 
following  day  was  their  Sabbath,  on  which  they  could  not 
engage  in  battle  ;  at  the  same  time  they  declined  to  join 
in  any  hostile  act,  unless  their  allies  should  give  hostages 
to  stand  by  them  to  the  end. 

The  Koreishites  and  Ghatafanites  were  now  convinced 


VENGEANCE  ON  THE  BENI  KORAIDA.  211 

of  the  perfidy  of  the  Koraidites,  and  dared  not  venture 
upon  the  meditated  attack,  lest  these  should  fall  upon 
them  in  the  rear.  While  they  lay  idly  in  their  camp  a 
cold  storm  came  on,  with  drenching  rain,  and  sweeping 
blasts  from  the  desert.  Their  tents  were  blown  down ; 
their  camp-fires  were  extinguished ;  in  the  midst  of  the 
uproar  the  alarm  was  given  that  Mahomet  had  raised  the 
storm  by  enchantment,  and  was  coming  upon  them  with 
his  forces.  All  now  was  panic  and  confusion.  Abu 
Sofian,  finding  all  efforts  vain  to  produce  order,  mounted 
his  camel  in  despair,  and  gave  the  word  to  retreat.  The 
confederates  hurried  off  from  the  scene  of  tumult  and 
terror,  the  Koreishites  towards  Mecca,  the  others  to  their 
homes  in  the  desert. 

Abu  Sofian,  in  rage  and  mortification,  wrote  a  letter  to 
Mahomet,  upbraiding  him  with  his  cowardice  in  lurking 
behind  a  ditch,  a  thing  unknown  in  Arabian  warfare ;  and 
threatening  to  take  his  revenge  on  some  future  day,  when 
they  might  meet  in  open  fight,  as  in  the  field  of  Ohod. 
Mahomet  hurled  back  a  defiance,  and  predicted  that  the 
day  was  approaching  when  he  would  break  in  pieces  the 
idols  of  the  Koreishites. 

The  invaders  having  disappeared,  Mahomet  turned  to 
take  vengeance  on  the  Beni  Koraida;  who  shut  them- 
selves up  in  their  castle,  and  withstood  a  siege  of  many 
days.  At  length,  pinched  by  famine,  they  implored  the 
intercession  of  their  ancient  friends  and  protectors,  the 
Awsites.    The  latter  entreated  the  prophet  to  grant  these 


212  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

Hebrews  the  same  terms  he  had  formerly  granted  to  the 
Beni  Kainoka,  at  the  prayer  of  Abdallah  the  Khazradite. 
Mahomet  reflected  a  moment,  and  offered  to  leave  their 
fate  to  the  decision  of  Saad  Ibn  Moad,  the  Awsite  chief. 
The  Koraidites  gladly  agreed,  knowing  him  to  have  been 
formerly  their  friend.  They  accordingly  surrendered 
themselves,  to  the  number  of  seven  hundred,  and  were 
conducted  in  chains  to  Medina.  Unfortunately  for  them, 
Saad  considered  their  perfidious  league  with  the  enemy 
as  one  cause  of  the  recent  hostility.  He  was  still  smart- 
ing with  the  wound  received  in  the  battle  of  the  Moat, 
and  in  his  moments  of  pain  and  anger  had  repeatedly 
prayed  that  his  life  might  be  spared  to  see  vengeance 
wreaked  on  the  Koraidites.  Such  was  the  state  of  his 
feelings  when  summoned  to  decide  upon  their  fate. 

Being  a  gross,  full-blooded  man,  he  was  with  difficulty 
helped  upon  an  ass,  propped  up  by  a  leather  cushion, 
and  supported  in  his  seat  until  he  arrived  at  the  tribunal 
of  justice.  Before  ascending  it,  he  exacted  an  oath  from 
all  present  to  abide  by  his  decision.  The  Jews  readily 
took  it,  anticipating  a  favorable  sentence.  No  sooner 
was  he  helped  into  the  tribunal,  than,  extending  his  hand, 
he  condemned  the  men  to  death,  the  women  and  children 
to  slavery,  and  their  effects  to  be  shared  among  the 
victors. 

The  wretched  Jews  looked  aghast,  but  there  was  no 
appeal.  They  were  conducted  to  a  public  place  since 
called  the  Market  of  the  Koraidites,  where  great  graves 


ESPOUSES  RIHANA.  213 

had  been  digged.  Into  these  they  were  compelled  to 
descend,  one  by  one,  their  prince  Hoya  Ibn  Ahktab  among 
the  number,  and  were  successively  put  to  death.  Thus 
the  prayer  of  Saad  Ibn  Moad  for  vengeance  on  the 
Koraidites  was  fully  gratified.  He  witnessed  the  execu- 
tion of  the  men  he  had  condemned,  but  such  was  his  ex- 
citement that  his  wound  broke  out  afresh,  and  he  died 
shortly  afterwards. 

In  the  castle  of  Koraida  was  found  a  great  quantity  of 
pikes,  lances,  cuirasses,  and  other  armor ;  and  its  lands 
were  covered  with  flocks  and  herds  and  camels.  In  divid- 
ing the  spoil  each  foot-soldier  had  one  lot,  each  horseman 
three ;  two  for  his  horse,  and  one  for  himself.  A  fifth 
part  of  the  whole  was  set  apart  for  the  prophet. 

The  most  precious  prize  in  the  eyes  of  Mahomet  was 
Rihana,  daughter  of  Simeon,  a  wealthy  and  powerful 
Jew ;  and  the  most  beautiful  female  of  her  tribe.  He 
took  her  to  himself,  and,  having  converted  her  to  the 
faith,  added  her  to  the  number  of  his  wives. 

But,  though  thus  susceptible  of  the  charms  of  the 
Israelitish  women,  Mahomet  became  more  and  more  vin- 
dictive in  his  hatred  of  the  men ;  no  longer  putting  faith 
in  their  covenants,  and  suspecting  them  of  the  most  in- 
sidious attempts  upon  his  life.  Moslem  writers  attribute 
to  the  spells  of  Jewish  sorcerers  a  long  and  languishing 
illness,  with  which  he  was  afflicted  about  this  time,  and 
which  seemed  to  defy  all  remedy.  They  describe  the 
very  charm  by  which  it  was  produced.     It  was  prepared, 


214  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

say  they,  by  a  Jewish  necromancer  from  the  mountains, 
aided  by  his  daughters,  who  were  equally  skilled  in 
the  diabolic  art.  They  formed  a  small  waxen  effigy  of 
Mahomet ;  wound  round  it  some  of  his  hair,  and  thrust 
through  it  eleven  needles.  They  then  made  eleven  knots 
in  a  bowstring,  blowing  with  their  breaths  on  each  ;  and, 
winding  the  string  round  the  effigy,  threw  the  whole  into 
a  well. 

Under  the  influence  of  this  potent  spell  Mahomet 
wasted  away,  until  his  friend,  the  angel  Gabriel,  revealed 
the  secret  to  him  in  a  vision.  On  awaking,  he  sent  Ali  to 
the  well,  where  the  image  was  discovered.  When  it  was 
brought  to  Mahomet,  continues  the  legend,  he  repeated 
over  it  the  two  last  chapters  of  the  Koran,  which  had 
been  communicated  to  him  in  the  recent  vision.  They 
consist  of  eleven  verses,  and  are  to  the  following  purport : 

In  the  name  of  the  all  merciful  God !  I  will  fly  for 
refuge  to  the  Lord  of  the  light  of  day. 

That  he  may  deliver  me  from  the  danger  of  beings  and 
things  created  by  himself. 

From  the  dangers  of  the  darksome  night,  and  of  the 
moon  when  in  eclipse. 

From  the  danger  of  sorcerers,  who  tie  knots  and  blow 
on  them  with  their  breath. 

From  the  danger  of  the  envious,  who  devise  deadly 
harm. 

I  will  fly  for  refuge  to  Allah,  the  Lord  of  men. 

To  Allah,  the  King  of  men. 


THE  AMULETS,  215 

To  Allah,  the  God  of  men. 

That  he  may  deliver  me  from  the  evil  spirit  who  flies 
at  the  mention  of  his  holy  name. 

Who  suggests  evil  thoughts  into  the  hearts  of  the 
children  of  men. 

And  from  the  evil  Genii,  and  men  who  deal  in  magic. 

At  the  repetition  of  each  one  of  tliose  verses,  says  the 
legend,  a  knot  of  the  bowstring  came  loose,  a  needle  fell 
from  the  effigy,  and  Mahomet  gained  strength.  At  the 
end  of  the  eleventh  verse  he  rose,  renovated  in  health 
and  vigor,  as  one  restored  to  freedom  after  having  been 
bound  with  cords. 

The  two  final  chapters  of  the  Koran,  which  comprise 
these  verses,  are  entitled  the  amulets,  and  considered  by 
the  superstitious  Moslems  effectual  talismans  against 
sorcery  and  magic  charms. 

The  conduct  of  Mahomet  in  the  affair  narrated  in 
this  chapter,  has  been  censured  as  weak  and  vacillating, 
and  deficient  in  military  decision,  and  his  measures  as 
wanting  in  true  greatness  of  mind,  and  the  following 
circumstances  are  adduced  to  support  these  charges. 
"When  threatened  with  violence  from  without,  and  perfidy 
from  within,  he  is  for  bribing  a  part  of  his  confederate 
foes  to  a  separate  peace  ;  but  suffers  himself  to  be,  in  a 
manner,  hectored  out  of  this  crafty  policy  by  Saad  Ibn 
Moad ;  yet,  subsequently,  he  resorts  to  a  scheme  still 
more  subtle  and  crafty,  by  which  he  sows  dissension 
among  his  enemies.     Above  all,  his  conduct  towards  the 


216  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

Jews  has  been  strongly  reprobated.  His  referring  the 
appeal  of  the  Beni  Koraida  for  mercy,  to  the  decision  of 
one  whom  he  knew  to  be  bent  on  their  destruction,  has 
been  stigmatized  as  cruel  mockery  ;  and  the  massacre  of 
those  unfortunate  men  in  the  market-place  of  Medina,  is 
pronounced  one  of  the  darkest  pages  of  his  history.  In 
fact,  his  conduct  towards  this  race  from  the  time  that  he 
had  power  in  his  hands  forms  an  exception  to  the  general 
tenor  of  his  disposition,  which  was  forgiving  and  humane. 
He  may  have  been  especially  provoked  against  them  by 
proofs  of  treachery  and  deadly  rancor  on  their  part ;  but 
we  see  in  this,  as  in  other  parts  of  his  policy  in  this  part 
of  his  career,  instances  of  that  worldly  alloy  which  at 
times  was  debasing  his  spirit,  now  that  he  had  become 
the  Apostle  of  the  Sword. 


CHAPTEK  XXIV. 

MAHOMET  UNDERTAKES  A  PILGRIMAGE  TO  MECCA.— EVADES  KHALED  AKD  A 
TROOP  OP  HORSE  SENT  AGAINST  HIM.— ENCAMPS  NEAR  MECCA.— NEGO- 
TIATES WITH  THE  KOREISHITES  FOR  PERMISSION  TO  ENTER  AND  COMPLETE 
HIS  PILGRIMAGE. — TREATY  FOR  TEN  YEARS,  BY  WHICH  HE  IS  PERMITTED 
TO  MAKE  A  YEARLY  VISIT  OF  THREE  DAYS.— HE  RETURNS  TO  MEDINA. 

IX  years  had  now  elapsed  since  the  flight  of 
Mahomet  from  Mecca.  As  that  city  was  sacred 
|  in  the  eyes  of  the  Arabs  and  their  great  point 
of  pilgrimage,  his  long  exile  from  it,  and  his  open  war- 
fare with  the  Koreishites,  who  had  charge  of  the  Caaba, 
prejudiced  him  in  the  opinion  of  many  of  the  tribes,  and 
retarded  the  spread  of  his  doctrines.  His  followers,  too, 
who  had  accompanied  him  in  his  flight,  languished  once 
more  to  see  their  native  home,  and  there  was  danger  of 
their  faith  becoming  enfeebled  under  a  protracted  exile. 

Mahomet  felt  more  and  more  the  importance  of  linking 
the  sacred  city  with  his  religion,  and  maintaining  the 
ancient  usages  of  his  race.  Besides,  he  claimed  but  to 
be  a  reformer,  anxious  to  restore  the  simplicity  and  puri- 
ty of  the  patriarchal  faith.  The  month  Doul  Kaada  was 
at  hand,  the  month  of  pilgrimage,  when  there  was  a  truce 
to  warfare,  and  enemies  might  meet  in  peace  within  the 

217 


218  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

holy  boundaries.  A  timely  vision  assured  Mahomet  that 
he  and  his  followers  might  safely  avail  themselves  of  the 
protection  of  this  venerable  custom  to  revisit  the  ancient 
shrines  of  Arabian  worship.  The  revelation  was  joyfully 
received  by  his  followers,  and  in  the  holy  month  he  set 
forth  from  Medina  on  his  pilgrimage,  at  the  head  of  four- 
teen hundred  men ;  partly  Mohadjerins  or  Fugitives,  and 
partly  Ansarians  or  Auxiliaries.  They  took  with  them 
seventy  camels  to  be  slain  in  sacrifice  at  the  Caaba.  To 
manifest  publicly  that  they  came  in  peace  and  not  in 
war,  they  halted  at  Dsu  Huleifa,  a  village  about  a  day's 
journey  from  Medina,  where  they  laid  aside  all  their 
weapons,  excepting  their  sheathed  swords,  and  thence 
continued  on  in  pilgrim  garb. 

In  the  meantime  a  confused  rumor  of  this  movement 
had  reached  Mecca.  The  Koreishites,  suspecting  hostil- 
ities, sent  forth  Khaled  Ibn  Waled  with  a  powerful  troop 
of  horse,  to  take  post  in  a  valley  about  two  days'  journey 
from  Mecca,  and  check  the  advance  of  the  Moslems. 

Mahomet,  hearing  that  the  main  road  was  thus  barred 
against  him,  took  a  rugged  and  difficult  route  through 
the  defiles  of  the  mountains,  and,  avoiding  Khaled  and 
his  forces  descended  into  the  plain  near  Mecca ;  where 
he  encamped  at  Hodeiba,  within  the  sacred  boundaries, 
Hence  he  sent  assurances  to  the  Koreishites  of  his 
peaceable  intentions,  and  claimed  the  immunities  and 
rights  of  pilgrimage. 

Envoys  from  the  Koreishites  visited  his  camp  to  make 


THE  SPONTANEO  US  IN  A  UG  URA  TION.  219 

observations.  They  were  struck  with  the  reverence  with 
which  he  was  regarded  by  his  followers.  The  water  with 
which  he  performed  his  ablutions  became  sanctified ;  a 
hair  falling  from  his  head,  or  the  paring  of  a  nail,  was 
caught  up  as  a  precious  relic.  One  of  the  envoys,  in  the 
course  of  conversation,  unconsciously  touched  the  flow- 
ing beard  of  the  prophet;  he  was  thrust  back  by  the 
disciples,  and  warned  of  the  impiety  of  the  act.  In  mak- 
ing his  report  to  the  Koreishites  on  his  return,  "  I  have 
seen  the  king  of  Persia,  and  the  emperor  of  Constanti- 
nople, surrounded  by  their  courts,"  said  he,  "but  never 
did  I  behold  a  sovereign  so  revered  by  his  subjects  as  is 
Mahomet  by  his  followers." 

The  Koreishites  were  the  more  loth  to  admit  into  their 
city  an  adversary  to  their  sect,  so  formidable  in  his  in- 
fluence over  the  minds  and  affections  of  his  fellow-men. 
Mahomet  sent  repeated  missions  to  treat  for  a  safe 
access  to  the  sacred  shrines,  but  in  vain.  Othman  Ibn 
Affan,  his  son-in-law,  was  his  last  envoy.  Several  days 
elapsed  without  his  return,  and  it  was  rumored  that  he 
was  slain.  Mahomet  determined  to  revenge  his  fall. 
Standing  under  a  tree,  and  summoning  his  people  around 
him,  he  exacted  an  oath  to  defend  him  even  to  the  death, 
and  never  to  desert  the  standard  of  the  faith.  This  cere- 
mony is  known  among  Mahometans  by  the  name  of  the 
Spontaneous  Inauguration. 

The  reappearance  of  Othman  in  the  camp  restored 
tranquillity.     He  was  accompanied  by  Solhail,  an  ambas- 


220  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

sador  from  the  Koreishites,  to  arrange  a  treaty  of  peace. 
They  perceived  the  impolicy  of  warring  with  a  man 
whose  power  was  incessantly  increasing,  and  who  was 
obeyed  with  such  fanatic  devotion.  The  treaty  proposed 
was  for  ten  years  ;  during  which  time  Mahomet  and  his 
adherents  were  to  have  free  access  to  Mecca  as  pilgrims, 
there  to  remain,  three  days  at  a  time,  in  the  exercise  of 
their  religious  rites.  The  terms  were  readily  accepted, 
and  Ali  was  employed  to  draw  up  the  treaty.  Mahomet 
dictated  the  words.  "  Write,"  said  he,  "  these  are  the 
conditions  of  peace  made  by  Mahomet  the  apostle  of 
God."  "Hold!"  cried  Solhail,  the  ambassador,  "had  I 
believed  thee  to  be  the  apostle  of  God,  I  should  never 
have  taken  up  arms  against  thee.  Write,  therefore,  sim- 
ply thy  name,  and  the  name  of  thy  father."  Mahomet 
was  fain  to  comply,  for  he  felt  he  was  not  sufficiently  in 
force  at  this  moment  to  contend  about  forms ;  so  he 
merely  denominated  himself  in  the  treaty,  Mahomet  Ibn 
Abdallah  (Mahomet  the  son  of  Abdallah),  an  abnegation 
which  gave  some  little  scandal  to  his  followers.  Their 
discontent  was  increased  when  he  ordered  them  to  shave 
their  heads,  and  to  sacrifice  on  the  spot  the  camels 
brought  to  be  offered  up  at  the  Caaba,  as  it  showed  he 
had  not  the  intention  of  entering  Mecca ;  these  rites 
being  properly  done  at  the  conclusion  of  the  ceremonials 
of  pilgrimage.  They  reminded  him  of  his  vision  which 
promised  a  safe  entrance  of  the  sacred  city ;  he  replied, 
that  the  present  treaty  was  an  earnest  of  its  fulfillment, 


TREATY  OF  PEACE.  221 

which  would  assuredly  take  place  on  the  following  year. 
With  this  explanation  they  had  to  content  themselves  , 
and  having  performed  the  ceremony,  and  made  the 
sacrifice  prescribed,  the  camp  was  broken  up,  and  the 
pilgrim  host  returned,  somewhat  disappointed  and  do- 
Jected,  to  Medina. 


CHAPTEK  XXV. 

3XPEDITION  AGAINST  THE  CITY  OF  KHAIBAR  J  SIEGE.— EXPLOITS  OF  MAHOM 
ET'S  CAPTAINS.— BATTLE  OF  ALI  AND  MARHAB.— STORMING  OF  THE  CITA 
DEL.— ALI  MAKES  A  BUCKLER  OF  THE  GATE.— CAPTURE  OF  THE  PLACE.— 
MAHOMET  POISONED  ;  HE  MARRIES  SAFIYA,  A  CAPTIVE  ;  ALSO  OMM  HABD3A, 
A  WIDOW. 

O  console  his  followers  for  the  check  their  relig- 
ious devotion  had  experienced  at  Mecca,  Ma- 
homet now  set  on  foot  an  expedition  calculated 
to  gratify  that  love  of  plunder,  which  began  to  rival 
fanaticism  in  attaching  them  to  his  standard. 

About  five  days'  journey  to  the  northeast  of  Medina, 
was  situated  the  city  of  Khaibar,  and  its  dependent  terri- 
tory. It  was  inhabited  by  Jews,  who  had  grown  wealthy 
by  commerce,  as  well  as  agriculture.  Their  rich  domain 
was  partly  cultivated  with  grain,  and  planted  with  groves 
of  palm-trees  ;  partly  devoted  to  pasturage  and  covered 
with  flocks  and  herds;  and  it  was  fortified  by  several 
castles.  So  venerable  was  its  antiquity,  that  Abulfeda, 
the  Arabian  historian,  assures  us  that  Moses,  after  the 
passage  of  the  Eed  Sea,  sent  an  army  against  the  Amale- 
kites,  inhabiting  Gothreb  (Medina),  and  the  strong  city 
of  Khaibar. 


EXPEDITION  AGAIN 8T  KHAIBAR.  223 

This  region  had  become  a  place  of  refuge  for  the  hos- 
tile Jews,  driven  by  Mahomet  from  Medina  and  its  envi- 
rons, and  for  all  those  who  had  made  themselves  obnox- 
ious to  his  vengeance.  These  circumstances,  together 
with  its  teeming  wealth,  pointed  it  out  as  a  fit  and  ripe 
object  for  that  warfare  which  he  had  declared  against  all 
enemies  of  the  faith. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  seventh  year  of  the  Hegira,  he 
departed  on  an  expedition  against  Khaibar,  at  the  head 
of  twelve  hundred  foot  and  two  hundred  horse,  accom- 
panied by  Abu  Beker,  by  Ali,  by  Omar,  and  other  of  his 
principal  officers.  He  had  two  standards  ;  one  represent- 
ing the  sun,  the  other  a  black  eagle ;  which  last  became 
famous  in  after  years  as  the  standard  of  Khaled. 

Entering  the  fertile  territory  of  Khaibar,  he  began  his 
warfare  by  assailing  the  inferior  castles  with  which  it  was 
studded.  Some  of  these  capitulated  without  making 
resistance  ;  in  which  cases,  being  considered  "  gifts  from 
God,"  the  spoils  went  to  the  prophet,  to  be  disposed  of 
by  him  the  way  before  mentioned.  Others  of  more 
strength  and  garrisoned  by  stouter  hearts,  had  to  be 
taken  by  storm. 

After  the  capture  of  these  minor  fortresses,  Mahomet 
advanced  against  the  city  of  Khaibar.  It  was  strongly 
defended  by  outworks,  and  its  citadel,  Al  Kamus,  built 
on  a  steep  rock,  was  deemed  impregnable,  insomuch  that 
Kenana  Ibn  al  Rabi,  the  chief  or  king  of  the  nation,  had 
made  it  the  depository  of  ail  his  treasures. 


224  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

The  siege  of  this  city  was  the  most  important  enter- 
prise  the  Moslems  had  yet  undertaken.  "When  Mahomet 
first  came  in  sight  of  its  strong  and  frowning  walls,  and 
its  rock-built  citadel,  he  is  said  to  have  put  up  the  fol- 
lowing prayer  : 

"  O  Allah  !  Lord  of  the  seven  heavens,  and  of  all 
things  which  they  cover  !  Lord  of  the  seven  earths,  and 
all  which  they  sustain  !  Lord  of  the  evil  spirits,  and  of 
all  whom  they  lead  astray  !  Lord  of  the  winds,  and  of 
all  whom  they  scatter  and  disperse !  We  supplicate 
thee  to  deliver  into  our  hands  this  city,  and  all  that  it 
contains,  and  the  riches  of  all  its  lands.  To  thee  we  look 
for  aid  against  this  people,  and  against  all  the  perils  by 
which  we  are  environed." 

To  give  more  solemnity  to  his  prayers,  he  chose  as  his 
place  of  worship  a  great  rock,  in  a  stony  place  called 
Mansela,  and,  during  all  the  time  that  he  remained  en- 
camped before  Khaibar,  made  daily  seven  circuits  round 
it,  as  are  made  round  the  Caaba.  A  mosque  was  erected 
on  this  rock  in  after  times  in  memorial  of  this  devout 
ceremonial,  and  it  became  an  object  of  veneration  to  all 
pious  Moslems. 

The  siege  of  the  citadel  lasted  for  some  time,  and 
tasked  the  skill  and  patience  of  Mahomet  and  his  troops, 
as  yet  but  little  practiced  in  the  attack  of  fortified  places. 
They  suffered  too  from  want  of  provisions,  for  the  Arabs 
in  their  hasty  expeditions  seldom  burden  themselves 
with  supplies,  and  the  Jews  on  their  approach  had  laid 


SIEGE  OF  KHAIBAR.  225 

waste  the  level  country,  and  destroyed  the  palm-trees 
round  their  capital. 

Mahomet  directed  the  attacks  in  person ;  the  besiegers 
protected  themselves  by  trenches,  and  brought  battering- 
rams  to  play  upon  the  walls ;  a  breach  was  at  length 
effected,  but  for  several  days  every  attempt  to  enter  was 
vigorously  repelled.  Abu  Beker  at  one  time  led  the 
assault,  bearing  the  standard  of  the  prophet ;  but,  after 
fighting  with  great  bravery,  was  compelled  to  retreat. 
The  next  attack  was  headed  by  Omar  Ibn  Khattab,  who 
fought  until  the  close  of  day  with  no  better  success.  A 
third  attack  was  led  by  Ali,  whom  Mahomet  armed  with 
his  own  scimetar,  called  Dhu'l  Fakar,  or  the  Trenchant. 
On  confiding  to  his  hands  the  sacred  banner,  he  pro- 
nounced him  "  a  man  who  loved  God  and  his  prophet ; 
and  whom  God  and  his  prophet  loved.  A  man  who  knew 
not  fear,  nor  ever  turned  his  back  upon  a  foe." 

And  here  it  may  be  well  to  give  a  traditional  account 
of  the  person  and  character  of  Ali.  He  was  of  the  mid- 
dle height,  but  robust  and  square,  and  of  prodigious 
strength.  He  had  a  smiling  countenance,  exceedingly 
florid,  with  a  bushy  beard.  He  was  distinguished  for 
an  amiable  disposition,  sagacious  intellect,  and  religious 
zeal,  and,  from  his  undaunted  courage,  was  surnamed  the 
Lion  of  God. 

Arabian  writers  dwell  with  fond  exaggeration  on  the 

exploits,  at  Khaibar,  of  this  their  favorite  hero.     He  was 

clad,  they  say,  in  a  scarlet  vest,  over  which  was  buckled 
VOL.  i.— 15 


226  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCSESSOR. 

a  cuirass  of  steel.  Scrambling  with  his  followers  up  the 
great  heap  of  stones  and  rubbish  in  front  of  the  breach, 
he  planted  his  standard  on  the  top,  determined  never  to 
recede  until  the  citadel  was  taken.  The  Jews  sallied 
forth  to  drive  down  the  assailants.  In  the  conflict  which 
ensued,  Ali  fought  hand  to  hand  with  the  Jewish  com- 
mander, Al  Hareth,  whom  he  slew.  The  brother  of  the 
slain  advanced  to  revenge  his  death.  He  was  of  gigantic 
stature ;  with  a  double  cuirass,  a  double  turban,  wound 
round  a  helmet  of  proof,  in  front  of  which  sparkled  an 
immense  diamond.  He  had  a  sword  girt  to  each  side, 
and  brandished  a  three-pronged  spear,  like  a  trident. 
The  warriors  measured  each  other  with  the  eye,  and  ac- 
costed each  other  in  boasting  oriental  style. 

"  I,"  said  the  Jew,  "  am  Marhab  ;  armed  at  all  points, 
and  terrible  in  battle." 

"  And  I  am  Ali,  whom  his  mother,  at  his  birth,  sur- 
named  Al  Haklara  (the  rugged  lion)." 

The  Moslem  writers  make  short  work  of  the  Jewish 
champion.  He  made  a  thrust  at  Ali  with  his  three- 
pronged  lance,  but  it  was  dexterously  parried ;  and  before 
he  could  recover  himself,  a  blow  from  the  scimetar  Dhu'l 
Fakar  divided  his  buckler,  passed  through  the  helm  of 
proof,  through  doubled  turban  and  stubborn  skull,  cleav- 
ing his  head  even  to  his  teeth.  His  gigantic  form  fell 
lifeless  to  the  earth. 

The  Jews  now  retreated  into  the  citadel,  and  a  general 
assault  took  place.     In  the  heat  of  the  action  the  shield 


SIEGE  OF  KHAIBAR.  227 

of  Ali  was  severed  from  his  arm,  leaving  his  body  ex- 
posed :  wrenching  a  gate,  however,  from  its  hinges,  he 
used  it  as  a  buckler  through  the  remainder  of  the  fight. 
Abu  Rafe,  a  servant  of  Mahomet,  testifies  to  the  fact.  "  I 
afterwards,"  says  he,  "examined  this  gate  in  company 
with  seven  m^n  a.nd  all  eight  of  us  attempted  in  vain  to 
wield  it."* 

The  citadel  being  captured,  every  vault  and  dungeon 
was  ransacked  for  the  wealth  said  to  be  deposited  there 
by  Kenana,  the  Jewish  prince.  None  being  discovered, 
Mahomet  demanded  of  him  where  he  had  concealed  his 
treasure.  He  declared  that  it  had  all  been  expended  in 
the  subsistence  of  his  troops,  and  in  preparations  for  de- 
fense. One  of  his  faithless  subjects,  however,  revealed 
the  place  where  a  great  amount  had  been  hidden.  It  did 
not  equal  the  expectations  of  the  victors,  and  Kenana 
was  put  to  the  torture  to  reveal  the  rest  of  his  supposed 
wealth.  He  either  could  not  or  would  not  make  further 
discoveries,  so  he  was  delivered  up  to  the  vengeance  of  a 
Moslem,  whose  brother  he  had  crushed  to  death  by  a 
piece  of  millstone  hurled  from  the  wall,  and  who  struck 
off  his  head  with  a  single  blow  of  his  sabre.f 

While  in  the  citadel  of  Khaibar,  Mahomet  came  near 

*  This  stupendous  feat  is  recorded  by  the  historian  Abulfeda,  c.  24. 
"Abu  Rafe,"  observes  Gibbon,  "was  an  eye-witness  ;  but  who  will  be 
witness  for  Abu  Rafe?"  We  join  with  the  distinguished  historian  in  his 
doubt ;  yet  if  we  scrupulously  question  the  testimony  of  an  eye-witness, 
what  will  become  of  history 

f  The  Jews  inhabiting  the  tract  of  country  called  Khaibar,  are  stiU 


228  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

falling  a  victim  to  Jewish  vengeance.  Demanding  som©» 
thing  to  eat,  a  shoulder  of  lamb  was  set  before  him.  At 
the  first  mouthful  he  perceived  something  unusual  in  the 
taste,  and  spat  it  forth,  but  instantly  felt  acute  internal 
pain.  One  of  his  followers,  named  Baschar,  who  had 
eaten  more  freely,  fell  down  and  expired  in  convulsions. 
All  now  was  confusion  and  consternation  ;  on  diligent  in- 
quiry, it  was  found  that  the  lamb  had  been  cooked  by 
Zainab,  a  female  captive,  niece  to  Marhab,  the  gigantic 
warrior  slain  by  Ali.  Being  brought  before  Mahomet, 
and  charged  with  having  infused  poison  into  the  viand, 
she  boldly  avowed  it,  vindicating  it  as  a  justifiable  re- 
venge for  the  ills  he  had  brought  upon  her  tribe  and 
her  family.  "I  thought,"  said  she,  "if  thou  wert  in- 
deed a  prophet,  thou  wouldst  discover  thy  danger ;  if  but 
a  chieftain,  thou  wouldst  fall,  and  we  should  be  delivered 
from  a  tyrant." 

Arabian  writers  are  divided  as  to  the  fate  of  this 
heroine.  According  to  some,  she  was  delivered  up  to  the 
vengeance  of  the  relatives  of  Baschar,  who  had  died  of 
the  poison.  According  to  others,  her  beauty  pleaded  in 
her  behalf,  and  Mahomet  restored  her  unharmed  to  her 
family. 

I  The  same  writers  seldom  permit  any  remarkable  event 
of  Mahomet's  life  to  pass  without  a  miracle.     In  the 

known  in  Arabia  by  the  name  of  Beni  Kheibar.  They  are  divided  into 
three  tribes,  under  independent  sheikhs,  the  Beni  Messiad,  Beni  Schahan, 
and  Beni  Anaesse.  They  are  accused  of  pillaging  the  caravans. — Ni& 
foihr,  v.  ii.  p.  43. 


THE  FEMALE  CAPTIVE  8AFITA.  229 

present  instance,  they  assure  us  that  the  poisoned  shoul- 
der of  lamb  became  miraculously  gifted  with  speech, 
and  warned  Mahomet  of  his  danger.  If  so,  it  was  rather 
slow  of  speech,  for  he  had  imbibed  sufficient  poison  to 
injure  his  constitution  throughout  the  remainder  of  his 
life  ;  affecting  him  often  with  paroxysms  of  pain  ;  and  in 
his  last  moments  he  complained  that  the  veins  of  his 
heart  throbbed  with  the  poison  of  Khaibar.  He  expe- 
rienced kinder  treatment  at  the  hands  of  Safiya  (or 
Sophia),  another  female  captive,  who  had  still  greater 
motives  for  vengeance  than  Zainab ;  for  she  was  the 
recently  espoused  wife  of  Kenana,  who  had  just  been 
sacrificed  for  his  wealth,  and  she  was  the  daughter  of 
Hoya  Ibn  Akhtab,  prince  of  the  Beni  Koraida,  who,  with 
seven  hundred  of  his  people,  had  been  put  to  death  in 
the  square  of  Medina,  as  has  been  related. 

This  Safiya  was  of  great  beauty ;  it  is  not  surprising, 
therefore,  that  she  should  find  instant  favor  in  the  eyes 
of  Mahomet,  and  that  he  should  seek,  as  usual,  to  add 
her  to  his  harem ;  but  it  may  occasion  surprise  that  she 
should  contemplate  such  a  lot  with  complacency.  Mos- 
lem writers,  however,  explain  this  by  assuring  us  that 
she  was  supernaturally  prepared  for  the  event. 

While  Mahomet  was  yet  encamped  before  the  city,  and 
carrying  on  the  siege,  she  had  a  vision  of  the  night,  in 
which  the  sun  descended  from  the  firmament  and  nestled 
in  her  bosom.  On  recounting  her  dream  to  her  husband 
Kenana  in  the  morning,  he  smote  her  on  the  face,  ex- 


230  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

claiming,  "  Woman,  you  speak  in  parables  of  this  Arab 
chief  who  has  come  against  us." 

The  vision  of  Safiya  was  made  true,  for  having  con- 
verted her  with  all  decent  haste  to  the  faith  of  Islam, 
Mahomet  took  her  to  wife  before  he  left  Khaibar.  Their 
nuptials  took  place  on  the  homeward  march,  at  Al  Sahba, 
where  the  army  halted  for  three  days.  Abu  Ayub,  one 
of  the  prophet's  most  ardent  disciples  and  marshal  of  his 
household,  patrolled  around  the  nuptial  tent  throughout 
the  night,  sword  in  hand.  Safiya  was  one  of  the  most 
favored  wives  of  Mahomet,  whom  she  survived  for  forty 
years  of  widowhood. 

Besides  the  marriages  of  affection  which  we  have  re- 
corded, the  prophet,  about  this  time,  made  another  of 
policy.  Shortly  after  his  return  to  Medina,  he  was  glad- 
dened by  the  arrival,  from  Abyssinia,  of  the  residue  of 
the  fugitives.  Among  these  was  a  comely  widow,  thirty 
years  of  age,  whose  husband,  Abdallah,  had  died  while 
in  exile.  She  was  generally  known  by  the  name  of  Omm 
Habiba,  the  mother  of  Habiba,  from  a  daughter  to  whom 
she  had  given  birth.  This  widow  was  the  daughter  of 
Mahomet's  arch  enemy,  Abu  Sofian ;  and  the  prophet 
conceived  that  a  marriage  with  the  daughter  might  soften 
the  hostility  of  the  father  ;  a  politic  consideration,  which 
is  said  to  have  been  either  suggested  or  sanctioned  by  a 
revelation  of  a  chapter  of  the  Koran. 

When  Abu  Sofian  heard  of  the  espousals,  "  By  heaven," 
exclaimed  he,  "  this  camel  is  so  rampant  that  no  muzzle 
can  restrain  him." 


CHAPTEE  XXVI. 


MISSIONS  TO  VARIOUS  PRINCES;  TO  HERACLIUS  ;  TO  KHOSRU  II.;  TO  THE  PRB* 
FECT  OF  EGYPT. — THEIR  RESULT. 


TJEING  tlie  residue  of  the  year,  Mahomet  re- 


mained at  Medina,  sending  forth  his  trusty 
disciples,  by  this  time  experienced  captains,  on 
various  military  expeditions  ;  by  which  refractory  tribes 
were  rapidly  brought  into  subjection.  His  views  as  a 
statesman  widened  as  his  territories  increased.  Though 
he  professed,  in  cases  of  necessity,  to  propagate  his  re- 
ligion by  the  sword,  he  was  not  neglectful  of  the  peace- 
ful measures  of  diplomacy,  and  sent  envoys  to  various 
princes  and  potentates,  whose  dominions  bordered  on  his 
political  horizon,  urging  them  to  embrace  the  faith  of 
Islam  ;  which  was,  in  effect,  to  acknowledge  him,  through 
his  apostolic  office,  their  superior. 

Two  of  the  most  noted  of  these  missions  were  to 
Khosru  II.,  King  of  Persia,  and  Heraclius,  the  Koman 
Emperor,  at  Constantinople.  The  wars  between  the 
Eomans  and  the  Persians,  for  the  dominion  of  the  East, 
which  had  prevailed  from  time  to  time  through  several 
centuries,  had  been  revived  by  these  two  potentates  with 

231 


232  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS* 

varying  fortunes,  and  for  several  years  past  had  dis- 
tracted the  eastern  world.  Countries  had  been  overrun 
by  either  power;  states  and  kingdoms  had  changed 
hands  under  alternate  invasions,  and  according  to  the 
conquests  and  defeats  of  the  warring  parties.  At  one 
time,  Khosru  with  three  armies,  one  vauntingly  called 
the  Fifty  Thousand  Golden  Spears,  had  wrested  Pales- 
tine, Cappadocia,  Armenia,  and  several  other  great  and 
wealthy  provinces  from  the  Roman  emperor ;  had  made 
himself  master  of  Jerusalem,  and  carried  off  the  Holy 
Cross  to  Persia ;  had  invaded  Africa,  conquered  Libya 
and  Egypt,  and  extended  his  victories  even  to  Carthage. 

In  the  midst  of  his  triumphant  career,  a  Moslem  envoy 
arrived  bearing  him  a  letter  from  Mahomet.  Khosru 
sent  for  his  secretary  or  interpreter,  and  ordered  him  to 
read  it.     The  letter  began  as  follows  : 

"  In  the  name  of  the  most  merciful  God !  Mahomet, 
son  of  Abdallah,  and  apostle  of  God,  to  Khosru,  King  of 
Persia." 

"What!  "  cried  Khosru,  starting  up  in  haughty  indig- 
nation, "  does  one  who  is  my  slave  dare  to  put  his  name 
first  in  writing  to  me  ?  "  So  saying,  he  seized  the  letter 
and  tore  it  in  pieces,  without  seeking  to  know  its  con- 
tents. He  then  wrote  to  his  viceroy  in  Yemen,  saying, 
"  I  am  told  there  is  in  Medina  a  madman,  of  the  tribe  of 
Koreish,  who  pretends  to  be  a  prophet.  Restore  him  to 
his  senses  ;  or  if  you  cannot,  send  me  his  head." 

When  Mahomet  was  told  how  Khosru  had  torn  his  let- 


LETTER   TO  HERACLIUS.  233 

ter,  "  Even  so,"  said  he,  "  shall  Allah  rend  his  empire  in 
pieces." 

The  letter  from  the  prophet  to  Heraclius  was  more 
favorably  received,  reaching  him  probably  during  his  re- 
verses. It  was  signed  in  characters  of  silver,  Mahomet 
Azzarel,  Mahomet  the  messenger  of  God,  and  invited  the 
emperor  to  renounce  Christianity,  and  embrace  the  faith 
of  Islam.  Heraclius,  we  are  told,  deposited  the  epistle 
respectfully  upon  his  pillow,  treated  the  envoy  with  dis- 
tinction, and  dismissed  him  with  magnificent  presents. 
Engrossed,  however,  by  his  Persian  wars,  he  paid  no 
further  attention  to  this  mission,  from  one  whom  he  prob- 
ably considered  a  mere  Arab  fanatic ;  nor  attached  suf- 
ficient importance  to  his  military  operations,  which  may 
have  appeared  mere  predatory  forays  of  the  wild  tribes 
of  the  desert. 

Another  mission  of  Mahomet  was  to  the  Mukowkis,  or 
governor  of  Egypt,  who  had  originally  been  sent  there 
by  Heraclius  to  collect  tribute  ;  but  who,  availing  him- 
self of  the  confusion  produced  by  the  wars  between  the 
Eomans  and  Persians,  had  assumed  sovereign  power,  and 
nearly  thrown  off  all  allegiance  to  the  emperor.  He  re- 
ceived the  envoy  with  signal  honor,  but  evaded  a  direct 
reply  to  the  invitation  to  embrace  the  faith,  observing 
that  it  was  a  grave  matter  requiring  much  consideration. 
In  the  meantime,  he  sent  presents  to  Mahomet  of  pre- 
cious jewels;  garments  of  Egyptian  linen;  exquisite 
honey  and  butter  ;  a  white  she-ass,  called  Yafur,  a  white 


234  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

mule,  called  Daldal,  and  a  fleet  horse  called  Lazlos,  or 
the  Prancer.  The  most  acceptable  of  his  presents,  how- 
ever, were  two  Coptic  damsels,  sisters,  called  Mariyah 
(or  Mary),  and  Shiren. 

The  beauty  of  Mariyah  caused  great  perturbation  in 
the  mind  of  the  prophet.  He  would  fain  have  made  her 
his  concubine,  but  was  impeded  by  his  own  law  in  the 
seventeenth  chapter  of  the  Koran,  ordaining  that  fornica- 
tion should  be  punished  with  stripes. 

He  was  relieved  from  his  dilemma  by  another  revela- 
tion, revoking  the  law  in  regard  to  himself  alone,  allow- 
ing him  intercourse  with  his  handmaid.  It  remained  in 
full  force,  however,  against  all  other  Moslems.  Still,  to 
avoid  scandal,  and  above  all,  not  to  excite  the  jealousy  of 
his  wives,  he  carried  on  his  intercourse  with  the  beauti- 
ful Mariyah  in  secret ;  which  may  be  one  reason  why  she 
remained  long  a  favorite. 


CHAPTEK  XXVn. 

MAHOMET'S  PILGRIMAGE  TO  MECCA  ;  HIS  MARRIAGE  WITH  MAIMUNA.— KHALED 
IBN  AL  WALED  AND  AMRU  IBN  AL  AASS  BECOME  PROSELYTES. 

HE  time  had  now  arrived  when,  by  treaty  with 
the  Koreishites,  Mahomet  and  his  followers 
were  permitted  to  make  a  pilgrimage  to  Mecca, 
and  pass  three  days  unmolested  at  the  sacred  shrines. 
He  departed  accordingly  with  a  numerous  and  well-armed 
host,  and  seventy  camels  for  sacrifices.  His  old  adversa- 
ries would  fain  have  impeded  his  progress,  but  they  were 
overawed,  and  on  his  approach  withdrew  silently  to  the 
neighboring  hills.  On  entering  the  bounds  of  Mecca,  the 
pilgrims,  according  to  compact  and  usage,  laid  aside  all 
their  warlike  accoutrements  excepting  their  swords,  which 
they  carried  sheathed. 

Great  was  their  joy  on  beholding  once  more  the  walls 
and  towers  of  the  sacred  city.  They  entered  the  gates 
in  pilgrim  garb,  with  devout  and  thankful  hearts,  and 
Mahomet  performed  all  the  ancient  and  customary  rites, 
with  a  zeal  and  devotion  which  gratified  beholders,  and 
drew  to  him  many  converts.  When  he  had  complied 
with  all  the  ceremonials  he  threw  aside  the  Iram  or  pil- 

235 


236  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

grim's  garb,  and  withdrew  to  Sarif,  a  hamlet  two  leagues 
distant,  and  without  the  sacred  boundaries.  Here  he 
had  a  ceremonial  of  a  different  kind  to  perform,  but  one 
in  which  he  was  prone  to  act  with  unfeigned  devotion. 
It  was  to  complete  his  marriage  with  Maimuna,  the 
daughter  of  Al  Hareth,  the  Helalite.  He  had  become 
betrothed  to  her  on  his  arrival  at  Mecca,  but  had  post- 
poned the  nuptials  until  after  he  had  concluded  the  rites 
of  pilgrimage.  This  was  doubtless  another  marriage  of 
policy,  for  Maimuna  was  fifty-one  years  of  age,  and  a 
widow,  but  the  connection  gained  him  two  powerful  pros- 
elytes. One  was  Khaled  Ibn  al  Waled,  a  nephew  of  the 
widow,  an  intrepid  warrior  who  had  come  near  destroy- 
ing Mahomet  at  the  battle  of  Ohod.  He  now  became 
one  of  the  most  victorious  champions  of  Islamism,  and 
by  his  prowess  obtained  the  appellation  of  "  The  Sword 
of  God." 

The  other  proselyte  was  Khaled's  friend,  Amru  Ibn 
al  Aass  ;  the  same  who  assailed  Mahomet  with  poetry 
and  satire  at  the  commencement  of  his  prophetic  career  ; 
who  had  been  an  ambassador  from  the  Koreishites  to  the 
king  of  Abyssinia,  to  obtain  the  surrender  of  the  fugitive 
Moslems,  and  who  was  henceforth  destined  with  his 
sword  to  carry  victoriously  into  foreign  lands  the  faith 
he  had  once  so  strenuously  opposed. 

Note.— Maimuna  was  the  last  spouse  of  the  prophet,  and,  old  as  she 
was  at  her  marriage,  survived  all  his  other  wives.  She  died  many  years 
after  him,  in  a  pavilion  at  Serif,  under  the  same  tree  in  the  shade  of 


THE  TOMB  OF  MAIMUNA.  237 

which  her  nuptial  tent  had  been  pitched,  and  was  there  interred.  The 
pious  historian,  Al  Jannabi,  who  styles  himself  "a  poor  servant  of  Allah, 
hoping  for  the  pardon  of  his  sins  through  the  mercy  of  God,"  visited  her 
tomb  on  returning  from  a  pilgrimage  to  Mecca,  in  the  year  of  the  Hegira 
963,  a.d.  1555.  "I  saw  there,"  said  he,  "a  dome  of  black  marble  erected 
in  memory  of  Maimuna,  on  the  very  spot  on  which  the  apostle  of  God  had 
reposed  with  her.  God  knows  the  truth  !  and  also  the  reason  of  the  black 
color  of  the  stone.  There  is  a  place  of  ablution,  and  an  oratory  ;  but  the 
building  has  fallen  to  decay." 


CHAPTEE  XXVIII. 

A  MOSLEM    ENVOY    SLAIN  IN  SYRIA. — EXPEDITION    TO    AVENGE    HIS    DEATM.— 
BATTLE  OF  MUTA. — ITS  RESULTS. 

mHH! MONG  the  different  missions  which  had  been 
l^^^:  sent  by  Mahomet  beyond  the  bounds  of  Arabia 
|^^ffl^;|  to  invite  neighboring  princes  to  embrace  his 
religion,  was  one  to  the  governor  of  Bosra,  the  great 
mart  on  the  confines  of  Syria,  to  which  he  had  made  his 
first  caravan  journey  in  the  days  of  his  youth.  Syria  had 
been  alternately  under  Eoman  and  Persian  domination, 
but  was  at  that  time  subject  to  the  emperor,  though 
probably  in  a  great  state  of  confusion.  The  envoy  of 
Mahomet  was  slain  at  Muta,  a  town  about  three  days' 
journey  eastward  from  Jerusalem.  The  one  who  slew 
him  was  an  Arab  of  the  Christian  tribe  of  Gassan,  and  son 
to  Shorhail,  an  emir,  who  governed  Muta  in  the  name  of 
Heraclius. 

To  revenge  the  death  of  his  legate,  and  to  insure  re- 
spect to  his  envoys  in  future,  Mahomet  prepared  to  send 
an  army  of  three  thousand  men  against  the  offending 
city.     It  was  a  momentous  expedition,  as  it  might,  for 

the  first  time,  bring  the  arms  of  Islam  in  collision  with 

238 


MAHOMET'S  REVENGE.  239 

those  of  the  Roman  Empire;  but  Mahomet  presumed 
upon  his  growing  power,  the  energy  of  his  troops,  and 
the  disordered  state  of  Syrian  affairs.  The  command 
was  intrusted  to  his  freedman  Zeid,  who  had  given  such 
signal  proof  of  devotion  in  surrendering  to  him  his  beau- 
tiful wife  Zeinab.  Several  chosen  officers  were  associated 
with  him.  One  was  Mahomet's  cousin  Jaafar,  son  of  Abu 
Taleb,  and  brother  of  Ali ;  the  same  who,  by  his  elo- 
quence, had  vindicated  the  doctrines  of  Islam  before  the 
king  of  Abyssinia,  and  defeated  the  Koreishite  embassy. 
He  was  now  in  the  prime  of  life,  and  noted  for  great 
courage  and  manly  beauty.  Another  of  the  associate 
officers  was  Abdallah  Ibn  Kawaha,  the  poet,  but  who  had 
signalized  himself  in  arms  as  well  as  poetry.  A  third 
was  the  new  proselyte  Khaled,  who  joined  the  expedition 
as  a  volunteer,  being  eager  to  prove  by  his  sword  the 
sincerity  of  his  conversion. 

The  orders  to  Zeid  were  to  march  rapidly,  so  as  to 
come  upon  Muta  by  surprise,  to  summon  the  inhabitants 
to  embrace  the  faith,  and  to  treat  them  with  lenity. 
Women,  children,  monks,  and  the  blind,  were  to  be 
spared  at  all  events  ;  nor  were  any  houses  to  be  de- 
stroyed, nor  trees  cut  down. 

The  little  army  sallied  from  Medina  in  the  full  con- 
fidence of  coming  upon  the  enemy  unawares.  On  their 
march,  however,  they  learned  that  a  greatly  superior 
force  of  Romans,  or  rather  Greeks  and  Arabs,  was  ad- 
vancing to  meet  them.     A  council  of  war  was  called. 


240  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

Some  were  for  pausing,  and  awaiting  further  orders  from 
Mahomet :  but  Abdallah,  the  poet,  was  for  pushing  fear- 
lessly forward  without  regard  to  numbers.  "  We  fight 
for  the  faith ! "  cried  he ;  "if  we  fall,  paradise  is  our 
reward.     On,  then,  to  victory  or  martyrdom  !  " 

All  caught  a  spark  of  the  poet's  fire,  or  rather,  fanati- 
cism. They  met  the  enemy  near  Muta,  and  encountered 
them  with  fury  rather  than  valor.  In  the  heat  of  the 
conflict  Zeid  received  a  mortal  wound.  The  sacred  ban- 
ner was  falling  from  his  grasp,  but  was  seized  and  borne 
aloft  by  Jaafar.  The  battle  thickened  round  him,  for  the 
banner  was  the  object  of  fierce  contention.  He  defended 
it  with  desperate  valor.  The  hand  by  which  he  held  it 
was  struck  off ;  he  grasped  it  with  the  other.  That,  too, 
was  severed ;  he  embraced  it  with  his  bleeding  arms.  A 
blow  from  a  scimetar  cleft  his  skull ;  he  sank  dead  upon 
the  field,  still  clinging  to  the  standard  of  the  faith.  Ab- 
dallah the  poet  next  reared  the  banner ;  but  he  too  fell 
beneath  the  sword.  Khaled,  the  new  convert,  seeing  the 
three  Moslem  leaders  slain,  now  grasped  the  fatal  stand- 
ard, but  in  his  hand  it  remained  aloft.  His  voice  rallied 
the  wavering  Moslems  :  his  powerful  arm  cut  its  way 
through  the  thickest  of  the  enemy.  If  his  own  account 
may  be  credited,  and  he  was  one  whose  deeds  needed  no 
exaggeration,  nine  scimetars  were  broken  in  his  hand  by 
the  fury  of  the  blows  given  by  him  in  this  deadly  con- 
flict. 

Night  separated    the    combatants.      In  the   morning 


MOURNING  FOR  JAAFAR.  241 

Khaled,  whom  the  army  acknowledged  as  their  com- 
mander, proved  himself  as  wary  as  he  was  valiant.  By 
dint  of  marches  and  countermarches,  he  presented  his 
forces  in  so  many  points  of  view,  that  the  enemy  were 
deceived  as  to  his  number,  and  supposed  he  had  received 
a  strong  reinforcement.  At  his  first  charge,  therefore, 
they  retreated  :  their  retreat  soon  became  a  flight ;  in 
which  they  were  pursued  with  great  slaughter.  Khaled 
then  plundered  their  camp,  in  which  was  found  great 
booty.  Among  the  slain  in  the  field  of  battle  was  found 
the  body  of  Jaafar,  covered  with  wounds,  but  all  in  front. 
Out  of  respect  to  his  valor,  and  to  his  relationship  with 
the  prophet,  Khaled  ordered  that  his  corpse  should  not 
be  buried  on  the  spot,  but  borne  back  for  honorable  in- 
terment at  Medina. 

The  army,  on  its  return,  though  laden  with  spoil,  en- 
tered the  city  more  like  a  funeral  train  than  a  triumphant 
pageant,  and  was  received  with  mingled  shouts  and  lam- 
entations. While  the  people  rejoiced  in  the  success  of 
their  arms,  they  mourned  the  loss  of  three  of  their  favor- 
ite generals.  All  bewailed  the  fate  of  Jaafar,  brought 
home  a  ghastly  corpse  to  that  city  whence  they  had  so 
recently  seen  him  sally  forth  in  all  the  pride  of  valiant 
manhood,  the  admiration  of  every  beholder.  He  had  left 
behind  him  a  beautiful  wife  and  infant  son.  The  heart 
of  Mahomet  was  touches  vy  her  affliction.  He  took  the 
orphan  child  in  his  arms  and  bathed  it  with  his  tears. 

But  most  he  was  affected  when  he  beheld  the  young 
vol.  i.— 16 


242  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

daughter  of  his  faithful  Zeid  approaching  him.  He  fell 
on  her  neck  and  wept  in  speechless  emotion.  A  by- 
stander expressed  surprise  that  he  should  give  way  to 
tears  for  a  death  which,  according  to  Moslem  doctrine, 
was  but  a  passport  to  paradise.  "  Alas ! "  replied  the 
prophet,  "  these  are  the  tears  of  friendship  for  the  loss 
of  a  friend!" 

The  obsequies  of  Jaafar  were  performed  on  the  third 
day  after  the  arrival  of  the  army.  By  that  time  Mahomet 
had  recovered  his  self-possession,  and  was  again  the 
prophet.  He  gently  rebuked  the  passionate  lamentations 
of  the  multitude,  taking  occasion  to  inculcate  one  of  the 
most  politic  and  consolatory  doctrines  of  his  creed. 
"  Weep  no  more,"  said  he,  "  over  the  death  of  this  my 
brother.  In  place  of  the  two  hands  lost  in  defending  the 
standard  of  the  faith,  two  wings  have  been  given  him  to 
bear  him  to  paradise ;  there  to  enjoy  the  endless  delights 
insured  to  all  believers  who  fall  in  battle." 

It  was  in  consequence  of  the  prowess  and  generalship 
displayed  by  Khaled  in  this  perilous  fight,  that  he  was 
honored  by  Mahomet  with  the  appellation  of  "  The  Sword 
of  God,"  by  which  he  was  afterwards  renowned. 


CHAPTEE  XXIX. 

DESIGKS  UPON  MECCA.— MISSION  OF  ABU  SOFIAN.— ITS  RESULT. 

AHOMET,  by  force  either  of  arms  or  eloquence, 
had  now  acquired  dominion  over  a  great  num- 
ber of  the  Arabian  tribes.  He  had  many  thou- 
sand warriors  under  his  command — sons  of  the  desert 
inured  to  hunger,  thirst,  and  the  scorching  rays  of  the 
sun,  and  to  whom  war  was  a  sport  rather  than  a  toil. 
He  had  corrected  their  intemperance,  disciplined  their 
valor,  and  subjected  them  to  rule.  Kepeated  victories 
had  given  them  confidence  in  themselves  and  in  their 
leader ;  whose  standard  they  followed  with  the  implicit 
obedience  of  soldiers,  and  the  blind  fanaticism  of  dis- 
ciples. 

The  views  of  Mahomet  expanded  with  his  means,  and 
a  grand  enterprise  now  opened  upon  his  mind.  Mecca, 
his  native  city,  the  abode  of  his  family  for  generations, 
the  scene  of  his  happiest  years,  was  still  in  the  hands  of 
his  implacable  foes.  The  Caaba,  the  object  of  devotion 
and  pilgrimage  to  all  the  children  of  Ishmael,  the  shrine 
of  his  earliest  worship,  was  still  profaned  by  the  emblems 
and  rites  of  idolatry.     To  plant  the  standard  of  the  faith 

24* 


244  MAHOMET  AND   HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

on  the  walls  of  his  native  city ;  to  rescue  the  holy  house 
from  profanation ;  restore  it  to  the  spiritual  worship  of 
the  one  true  God,  and  make  it  the  rallying  point  of 
Islamism,  formed  now  the  leading  object  of  his  ambi- 
tion. 

The  treaty  of  peace  existing  with  the  Koreishites  was 
an  impediment  to  any  military  enterprise  ;  but  some  cas- 
ual feuds  and  skirmishings  soon  gave  a  pretext  for  charg- 
ing them  with  having  violated  the  treaty  stipulations. 
The  Koreishites  had  by  this  time  learned  to  appreciate 
and  dread  the  rapidly  increasing  power  of  the  Moslems, 
and  were  eager  to  explain  away,  or  atone  for,  the  quar- 
rels and  misdeeds  of  a  few  heedless  individuals.  They 
even  prevailed  on  their  leader,  Abu  Sofian,  to  repair  to 
Medina  as  ambassador  of  peace,  trusting  that  he  might 
have  some  influence  with  the  prophet  through  his  daugh- 
ter, Omm  Habiba. 

It  was  a  sore  trial  to  this  haughty  chief  to  come 
almost  a  suppliant  to  the  man  whom  he  had  scoffed  at  as 
an  impostor,  and  treated  with  inveterate  hostility ;  and 
his  proud  spirit  was  doomed  to  still  further  mortifica- 
tion, for  Mahomet,  judging  from  his  errand  of  the  weak- 
ness of  his  party,  and  being  secretly  bent  on  war,  vouch- 
safed him  no  reply. 

[Repressing  his  rage,  Abu  Sofian  sought  the  intermedia- 
tion of  Abu  Beker,  of  Omar,  and  Ali ;  but  they  all  re- 
buked and  repulsed  him,  for  they  knew  the  secret  wishes 
of  Mahomet.     He  next  endeavored  to  secure  the  favor  of 


HUMILIATION  OF  ABU  80FIAN.  245 

Fatima,  the  daughter  of  Mahomet  and  wife  of  Ali,  by  flat- 
tering a  mother's  pride,  entreating  her  to  let  her  son 
Hasan,  a  child  but  six  years  old,  be  his  protector ;  but 
Fatima  answered  haughtily,  "  My  son  is  too  young  to  be 
a  protector  ;  and  no  protection  can  avail  against  the  will 
of  the  prophet  of  God."  Even  his  daughter,  Omm  Ha- 
biba,  the  wife  of  Mahomet,  on  whom  Abu  Sofian  had  cal- 
culated for  influence,  added  to  his  mortification,  for  on 
his  offering  to  seat  himself  on  a  mat  in  her  dwelling, 
she  hastily  folded  it  up,  exclaiming,  "  It  is  the  bed  of  the 
prophet  of  God,  and  too  sacred  to  be  made  the  resting- 
place  of  an  idolater." 

The  cup  of  humiliation  was  full  to  overflowing,  and  in 
the  bitterness  of  his  heart  Abu  Sofian  cursed  his  daugh- 
ter. He  now  turned  again  to  Ali,  beseeching  his  advice 
in  the  desperate  state  of  his  embassy. 

"  I  can  advise  nothing  better,"  replied  Ali,  "  than  for 
thee  to  promise,  as  the  head  of  the  Koreishites,  a  con- 
tinuance of  thy  protection;  and  then  to  return  to  thy 
home." 

"But  thinkest  thou  that  promise  will  be  of  any 
avail?" 

"  I  think  not,"  replied  Ali,  dryly ;  "  but  I  know  not  to 
the  contrary." 

In  pursuance  of  this  advice,  Abu  Sofian  repaired  to 
the  mosque,  and  made  public  declaration,  in  behalf  of 
the  Koreishites,  that  on  their  part  the  treaty  of  peace 
should  be    faithfully  maintained;   after   which    he    re- 


0 

246  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

turned  to  Mecca,  deeply  humiliated  by  the  imperfect 
result  of  his  mission.  He  was  received  with  scoffs  by 
the  Koreishites,  who  observed  that  his  declaration  of 
peace  availed  nothing  without  the  concurrence  of  Ma- 
homet 


CHAPTEK  XXX. 


SURPRISE  AND  CAPTURH  OF  MECCA. 


AHOMET  now  prepared  for  a  secret  expedition 
to  take  Mecca  by  surprise.  His  allies  were 
summoned  from  all  quarters  to  Medina ;  but  no 
intimation  was  given  of  the  object  he  had  in  view.  All 
the  roads  leading  to  Mecca  were  barred  to  prevent  any 
intelligence  of  his  movements  being  carried  to  the  Ko- 
reishites.  With  all  his  precautions  the  secret  came  near 
being  discovered.  Among  his  followers,  fugitives  from 
Mecca,  was  one  named  Hateb,  whose  family  had  re- 
mained behind,  and  were  without  connections  or  friends 
to  take  an  interest  in  their  welfare.  Hateb  now  thought 
to  gain  favor  for  them  among  the  Koreishites,  by  betray- 
ing the  plans  of  Mahomet.  He  accordingly  wrote  a  letter 
revealing  the  intended  enterprise,  and  gave  it  in  charge 
to  a  singing  woman,  named  Sara,  a  Haschemite  slave, 
who  undertook  to  carry  it  to  Mecca. 

She  was  already  on  the  road  when  Mahomet  was 
apprised  of  the  treachery.  Ali  and  five  others,  well 
mounted,  were  sent  in  pursuit  of  the  messenger.     They 

soon   overtook  her,  but   searched  her  person  in  vain. 

247 


MAHOMET  AXD  Hl<  SUCCESSORS. 

Most  of  thein  would  have  given  up  the  search  and  turned 
back,  but  Ali  was  confident  that  the  prophet  of  God 
could  not  be  mistaken  nor  misinformed.  Drawing  his 
scimetar  he  swore  to  strike  off  the  head  of  the  mes- 
senger, unless  the  letter  were  produced.  The  threat  was 
effectual.    She  drew  forth  the  letter  from  among  her  hair. 

Hateb,  on  being  taxed  with  his  perfidy,  acknowledged 
it ;  but  pleaded  his  anxiety  to  secure  favor  for  his  desti- 
tute family,  and  his  certainty  that  the  letter  would  be 
harmless,  and  of  no  avail  against  the  purposes  of  the 
apostle  of  God.  Omar  spurned  at  his  excuses  and  would 
have  struck  off  his  head  ;  but  Mahomet,  calling  to  mind 
that  Hateb  had  fought  bravely  in  support  of  the  faith  in 
the  battle  of  Beder,  admitted  his  excuses  and  forgave 
him. 

The  prophet  departed  with  ten  thousand  men  on  this 
momentous  enterprise.  Omar,  who  had  charge  of  regu- 
lating the  march,  and  appointing  the  encampments,  led 
the  army  by  lonely  passes  of  the  mountains ;  prohibiting 
the  sound  of  attabal  or  trumpet,  or  anything  else  that 
could  betray  their  movements.  While  on  the  march, 
Mahomet  was  joined  by  his  uncle  Al  Abbas,  who  had 
come  forth  with  his  family  from  Mecca,  to  rally  under 
the  standard  of  the  faith.  Mahomet  received  him  gra- 
ciously, yet  with  a  hint  at  his  tardiness.  "Thou  art 
the  last  of  the  emigrants,"  said  he,  "  as  I  am  the  last  of 
the  prophets."  Al  Abbas  sent  his  family  forward  to 
Medina,  while  he  turned  and  accompanied  the  expedi- 


CAPTURE  OF  ABU  SOFIAX.  049 

tion.  The  army  reached  the  valley  of  Marr  Azzahran, 
near  to  the  sacred  city,  without  being  discovered.  It 
was  nightfall  when  they  silently  pitched  their  tents,  and 
now  Omar  for  the  first  time  permitted  them  to  light  their 
watch-fires. 

In  the  meantime,  though  Al  Abbas  had  joined  the 
standard  of  the  faith  in  all  sincerity,  yet  he  was  sorely 
disquieted  at  seeing  his  nephew  advancing  against 
Mecca,  with  such  a  powerful  force  and  such  hostile 
intent ;  and  feared  the  entire  destruction  of  the  Kore- 
ishites,  unless  they  could  be  persuaded  in  time  to  capitu- 
late. In  the  dead  of  the  night,  he  mounted  Mahomet's 
white  mule  Fadda,  and  rode  forth  to  reconnoitre.  In 
skirting  the  camp,  he  heard  the  tramp  of  men  and 
sound  of  voices.  A  scouting  party  were  bringing  in  two 
prisoners  captured  near  the  city.  Al  Abbas  approached, 
and  found  the  captives  to  be  Abu  Sofian,  and  one  of  his 
captains.  They  were  conducted  to  the  watch-fire  of 
Omar,  who  recognized  Abu  Sofian  by  the  light.  u  God 
be  praised,"  cried  he,  "that  I  have  such  an  enemy  in 
my  hands,  and  without  conditions."  His  ready  scimetar 
might  have  given  fatal  significance  to  his  words,  had  not 
Al  Abbas  stepped  forward  and  taken  Abu  Sofian  under 
his  protection,  until  the  will  of  the  prophet  should  be 
known.  Omar  rushed  forth  to  ascertain  that  will,  or 
rather  to  demand  the  life  of  the  prisoner ;  but  Al  Abbas, 
taking  the  latter  up  behind  him,  put  spurs  to  his  mule, 
and   was   the   first   to   reach   the   tent    of   the   prophet, 


250  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

followed  hard  by  Omar,  clamoring  for  the  head  of  Abu 
Sofian. 

Mahomet  thus  beheld  in  his  power  his  inveterate 
enemy  who  had  driven  him  from  his  home  and  country, 
and  persecuted  his  family  and  friends ;  but  he  beheld  in 
him  the  father  of  his  wife  Omm  Habiba,  and  felt  inclined 
to  clemency.  He  postponed  all  decision  in  the  matter 
until  morning ;  giving  Abu  Sofian  in  charge  of  Al  Abbas. 

When  the  captain  was  brought  before  him  on  the 
following  day  :  "  Well,  Abu  Sofian,"  cried  he,  "  is  it  not  at 
length  time  to  know  that  there  is  no  other  God  but  God  ?  " 

"  That  I  already  knew,"  replied  Abu  Sofian. 

"  Good !  and  is  it  not  time  for  thee  to  acknowledge  me 
as  the  apostle  of  God  ?  " 

"Dearer  art  thou  to  me  than  my  father  and  my 
mother,"  replied  Abu  Sofian,  using  an  oriental  phrase 
of  compliment ;  "  but  I  am  not  yet  prepared  to  acknowl- 
edge thee  a  prophet." 

"  Out  upon  thee  !  "  cried  Omar,  "  testify  instantly  to 
the  truth,  or  thy  head  shall  be  severed  from  thy  body." 

To  these  threats  were  added  the  counsels  and  en- 
treaties of  Al  Abbas,  who  showed  himself  a  real  friend  in 
need.  The  rancor  of  Abu  Sofian  had  already  been  partly 
subdued  by  the  unexpected  mildness  of  Mahomet;  so, 
making  a  merit  of  necessity,  he  acknowledged  the  divin- 
ity of  his  mission ;  furnishing  an  illustration  of  the  Mos- 
lem maxim,  "  To  convince  stubborn  unbelievers,  there  is 
no  argument  like  the  sword." 


REVIEW  OF  THE  ARMT.  251 

Having  now  embraced  the  faith,  Abu  Sofian  obtained 
favorable  terms  for  the  people  of  Mecca,  in  case  of  their 
submission.  None  were  to  be  harmed  who  should  re- 
main quietly  in  their  houses ;  or  should  take  refuge  in  the 
houses  of  Abu  Sofian  and  Hakim ;  or  under  the  banner  of 
Abu  Rawaiha. 

That  Abu  Sofian  might  take  back  to  the  city  a  proper 
idea  of  the  force  brought  against  it,  he  was  stationed 
with  Al  Abbas  at  a  narrow  defile  where  the  whole  army 
passed  in  review.  As  the  various  Arab  tribes  marched 
by  with  their  different  arms  and  ensigns,  Al  Abbas  ex- 
plained the  name  and  country  of  each.  Abu  Sofian  was 
surprised  at  the  number,  discipline,  and  equipment  of  the 
troops  ;  for  the  Moslems  had  been  rapidly  improving  in 
the  means  and  art  of  war ;  but  when  Mahomet  approach^ 
ed,  in  the  midst  of  a  chosen  guard,  armed  at  all  points 
and  glittering  with  steel,  his  astonishment  passed  all 
bounds.  "  There  is  no  withstanding  this  ! "  cried  he  to 
Al  Abbas,  with  an  oath — "  truly  thy  nephew  wields  a 
mighty  power." 

"Even  so,"  replied  the  other;  "return  then  to  thy 
people ;  provide  for  their  safety,  and  warn  them  not  to 
oppose  the  apostle  of  God." 

Abu  Sofian  hastened  back  to  Mecca,  and  assembling 
the  inhabitants,  told  them  of  the  mighty  host  at  hand, 
led  on  by  Mahomet ;  of  the  favorable  terms  offered  in 
case  of  their  submission,  and  cf  the  vanity  of  all  resist- 
ance.   As  Abu  Sofian  had  been  the  soul  of  the  opposition 


252  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

to  Mahomet  and  his  doctrines,  his  words  had  instant 
effect  in  producing  acquiescence  in  an  event  which 
seemed  to  leave  no  alternative.  The  greater  part  of  the 
inhabitants,  therefore,  prepared  to  witness,  without  re- 
sistance, the  entry  of  the  prophet. 

Mahomet,  in  the  meantime,  who  knew  not  what  resist- 
ance he  might  meet  with,  made  a  careful  distribution  of 
his  forces  as  he  approached  the  city.  While  the  main 
body  marched  directly  forward,  strong  detachments  ad- 
vanced over  the  hills  on  each  side.  To  Ali,  who  com- 
manded a  large  body  of  cavalry,  was  confided  the  sacred 
banner,  which  he  was  to  plant  on  Mount  Hadjun,  and 
maintain  it  there  until  joined  by  the  prophet.  Express 
orders  were  given  to  all  the  generals  to  practice  forbear- 
ance, and  in  no  instance  to  make  the  first  attack ;  for  it 
was  the  earnest  desire  of  Mahomet  to  win  Mecca  by 
moderation  and  clemency,  rather  than  subdue  it  by  vio- 
lence. It  is  true,  all  who  offered  armed  resistance  were 
to  be  cut  down,  but  none  were  to  be  harmed  who  submit- 
ted quietly.  Overhea  ring  one  of  his  captains  exclaim,  in 
the  heat  of  his  zeal,  that  "  no  place  was  sacred  on  the 
day  of  battle,"  he  instantly  appointed  a  cooler-headed 
commander  in  his  place. 

The  main  body  of  the  army  advanced  without  moles- 
tation. Mahomet  brought  up  the  rear  guard,  clad  in  a 
scarlet  vest,  and  mounted  on  his  favorite  camel  Al 
Kaswa.  He  proceeded  but  slowly,  however ;  his  move- 
ments being  impeded  by  the  immense  multitude  which 


ENTRY  INTO  MECCA.  253 

thronged  around  him.  Arrived  on  Mount  Hadjun,  where 
Ali  had  planted  the  standard  of  the  faith,  a  tent  was 
pitched  for  him.  Here  he  alighted,  put  off  his  scarlet 
garment,  and  assumed  the  black  turban  and  the  pilgrim 
garb.  Casting  a  look  down  into  the  plain,  however,  he 
beheld,  with  grief  and  indignation,  the  gleam  of  swords 
and  lances,  and  Khaled,  who  commanded  the  left  wing, 
in  a  full  career  of  carnage.  His  troops,  composed  of 
Arab  tribes  converted  to  the  faith,  had  been  galled  by  a 
flight  of  arrows  from  a  body  of  Koreishites  ;  whereupon 
the  fiery  warrior  charged  into  the  thickest  of  them  with 
sword  and  lance  ;  his  troops  pressed  after  him  ;  put  the 
enemy  to  flight,  entered  the  gates  of  Mecca  pell-mell  with 
them,  and  nothing  but  the  swift  commands  of  Mahomet 
preserved  the  city  from  a  general  massacre. 

The  carnage  being  stopped,  and  no  further  opposition 
manifested,  the  prophet  descended  from  the  mount  and 
approached  the  gates,  seated  on  his  camel,  accompanied 
by  Abu  Beker  on  his  right  hand,  and  followed  by  Osama, 
the  son  of  Zeid.  The  sun  was  just  rising  as  he  entered 
the  gates  of  his  native  city,  with  the  glory  of  a  conqueror, 
but  the  garb  and  humility  of  a  pilgrim.  He  entered,  re- 
peating verses  of  the  Koran,  which  he  said  had  been 
revealed  to  him  at  Medina,  and  were  prophetic  of  the 
event.  He  triumphed  in  the  spirit  of  a  religious  zealot, 
not  of  a  warrior.  "Unto  God,"  said  he,  "belong  the 
hosts  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  God  is  mighty  and  wise. 
Now  hath  God  verified  unto   his   apostle  the    vision, 


254  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

wherein  he  said,  ye  shall  surely  enter  the  holy  temple  of 
Mecca  in  full  security." 

Without  dismounting,  Mahomet  repaired  directly  to 
the  Caaba,  the  scene  of  his  early  devotions,  the  sacred 
shrine  of  worship  since  the  days  of  the  patriarchs,  and 
which  he  regarded  as  the  primitive  temple  of  the  one 
true  God.  Here  he  made  the  seven  circuits  round  the 
sacred  edifice,  a  reverential  rite  from  the  days  of  relig- 
ious purity ;  with  the  same  devout  feeling  he  each  time 
touched  the  black  stone  with  his  staff ;  regarding  it  as  a 
holy  relic.  He  would  have  entered  the  Caaba,  but  Oth- 
man  Ibn  Talha,  the  ancient  custodian,  locked  the  door. 
Ali  snatched  the  keys,  but  Mahomet  caused  them  to  be 
returned  to  the  venerable  officer,  and  so  won  him  by  his 
kindness,  that  he  not  merely  threw  open  the  doors,  but 
subsequently  embraced  the  faith  of  Islam ;  whereupon 
he  was  continued  in  his  office. 

Mahomet  now  proceeded  to  execute  the  great  object 
of  his  religious  aspirations,  the  purifying  of  the  sacred 
edifice  from  the  symbols  of  idolatry,  with  which  it  was 
crowded.  All  the  idols  in  and  about  it,  to  the  number 
of  three  hundred  and  sixty,  were  thrown  down  and  de- 
stroyed. Among  these,  the  most  renowned  was  Hobal, 
an  idol  brought  from  Balka,  in  Syria,  and  fabled  to  have 
the  power  of  granting  rain.  It  was,  of  course,  a  great 
object  of  worship  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  thirsty 
desert.  There  were  statues  of  Abraham  and  Ishmael 
also,  represented  with  divining  arrows  in  their  hands ; 


RELIGIOUS  RITES.  255 

"an  outrage  on  their  memories,"  said  Mahomet,  "being 
symbols  of  a  diabolical  art  which  they  had  never  prac- 
ticed." In  reverence  of  their  memories,  therefore,  these 
statues  were  demolished.  There  were  paintings,  also, 
depicting  angels  in  the  guise  of  beautiful  women.  "  The 
angels,"  said  Mahomet,  indignantly,  "  are  no  such  beings. 
There  are  celestial  houris  provided  in  paradise  for  the 
solace  of  true  believers  ;  but  angels  are  ministering  spir- 
its of  the  Most  High,  and  of  too  pure  a  nature  to  admit 
of  sex."     The  paintings  were  accordingly  obliterated. 

Even  a  dove,  curiously  carved  of  wood,  he  broke  with 
his  own  hands,  and  cast  upon  the  ground,  as  savoring  of 
idolatry. 

From  the  Caaba  he  proceeded  to  the  well  of  Zem  Zem. 
It  was  sacred  in  his  eyes,  from  his  belief  that  it  was  the 
identical  well  revealed  by  the  angel  to  Hagar  and  Ish- 
mael,  in  their  extremity;  he  considered  the  rite  con- 
nected with  it  as  pure  and  holy,  and  continued  it  in  his 
faith.  As  he  approached  the  well,  his  uncle  Al  Abbas 
presented  him  a  cruse  of  the  water,  that  he  might  drink, 
and  make  the  customary  ablution.  In  commemoration 
of  this  pious  act,  he  appointed  his  uncle  guardian  of  the 
cup  of  the  well ;  an  office  of  sacred  dignity,  which  his 
descendants  retain  to  this  day. 

At  noon  one  of  his  followers,  at  his  command,  sum- 
moned the  people  to  prayer  from  the  top  of  the  Caaba, 
a  custom  continued  ever  since  throughout  Mahometan 
countries,  from  minarets  or  towers   provided  in  every 


256  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

mosque.  He  also  established  the  Kebla,  toward  which 
the  faithful  in  every  part  of  the  world  should  turn  their 
faces  in  prayer. 

He  afterwards  addressed  the  people  in  a  kind  of  ser- 
mon, setting  forth  his  principal  doctrines,  and  announcing 
the  triumph  of  the  faith  as  a  fulfillment  of  prophetic 
promise.  Shouts  burst  from  the  multitude  in  reply, 
"  Allah  Achbar,  God  is  great !  "  cried  they.  "  There  is 
no  God  but  God,  and  Mahomet  is  his  prophet." 

The  religious  ceremonials  being  ended,  Mahomet  took 
his  station  on  the  hill  Al  Safa,  and  the  people  of  Mecca, 
male  and  female,  passed  before  him,  taking  the  oath  of 
fidelity  to  him  as  the  prophet  of  God,  and  renouncing 
idolatry.  This  was  in  compliance  with  a  revelation  in 
the  Koran  :  *"  God  hath  sent  his  apostle  with  the  direc- 
tion and  the  religion  of  truth,  that  he  may  exalt  the  same 
over  every  religion.  Yerily,  they  who  swear  fealty  to 
him,  swear  fealty  unto  God;  the  hand  of  God  is  over 
their  hands."  In  the  midst  of  his  triumph,  however,  he 
rejected  all  homage  paid  exclusively  to  himself ;  and  all 
regal  authority.  "  Why  dost  thou  tremble  ?  "  said  he,  to 
a  man  who  approached  with  timid  and  faltering  steps. 
"  Of  what  dost  thou  stand  in  awe  ?  I  am  no  king,  but  the 
son  of  a  Koreishite  woman,  who  ate  flesh  dried  in  the  sun." 

His  lenity  was  equally  conspicuous.  The  once  haughty 
chiefs  of  the  Koreishites  appeared  with  abject  counte- 
nances before  the  man  they  had  persecuted,  for  their 
lives  were  in  his  power. 


TREATMENT  OF  OFFENDERS.  257 

"What  can  you  expect  at  my  hands?"  demanded  he 
sternly. 

"  Mercy,  O  generous  brother !  Mercy,  O  son  of  a  gen- 
erous line ! " 

"  Be  it  so !  "  cried  he,  with  a  mixture  of  scorn  and  pity 
"Away !  begone  !  ye  are  free  !  " 

Some  of  his  followers  who  had  shared  his  persecutions, 
were  disappointed  in  their  anticipations  of  a  bloody  re- 
venge and  murmured  at  his  clemency ;  but  he  persisted 
in  it,  and  established  Mecca  as  an  inviolable  sanctuary, 
or  place  of  refuge,  so  to  continue  until  the  final  resurrec- 
tion. He  reserved  to  himself,  however,  the  right  on  the 
present  occasion,  and  during  that  special  day,  to  punish 
a  few  of  the  people  of  the  city,  who  had  grievously  of- 
fended, and  been  expressly  proscribed;  yet  even  these, 
for  the  most  part,  were  ultimately  forgiven. 

Among  the  Koreishite  women  who  advanced  to  take 
the  oath,  he  descried  Henda,  the  wife  of  Abu  Sofian ; 
the  savage  woman  who  had  animated  the  infidels  at  the 
battle  of  Ohod,  and  had  gnawed  the  heart  of  Hamza,  in 
revenge  for  the  death  of  her  father.  On  the  present  occa- 
sion she  had  disguised  herself  to  escape  detection ;  but 
seeing  the  eyes  of  the  prophet  fixed  on  her,  she  threw 
herself  at  his  feet,  exclaiming,  "  I  am  Henda :  pardon ! 
pardon !  "  Mahomet  pardoned  her — and  was  requited  for 
his  clemency  by  her  making  his  doctrines  the  subject  of 
contemptuous  sarcasms. 

Among  those  destined  to  punishment  was  Wacksa,  the 

VOL.  I.— 17 


258  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

Ethiopian,  who  had  slain  Hamza ;  but  he  had  fled  from 
Mecca  on  the  entrance  of  the  army.  At  a  subsequent 
period  he  presented  himself  before  the  prophet,  and 
made  the  profession  of  faith  before  he  was  recognized. 
He  was  forgiven,  and  made  to  relate  the  particulars  of 
the  death  of  Hamza;  after  which  Mahomet  dismissed 
him  with  an  injunction,  never  again  to  come  into  his 
presence.  He  survived  until  the  time  of  the  Caliphat  of 
Omar,  during  whose  reign  he  was  repeatedly  scourged 
for  drunkenness. 

Another  of  the  proscribed  was  Abdallah  Ibn  Saad,  a 
young  Koreishite,  distinguished  for  wit  and  humor,  as 
well  as  for  warlike  accomplishments.  As  he  held  the 
pen  of  a  ready  writer,  Mahomet  had  employed  him  to 
reduce  the  revelations  of  the  Koran  to  writing.  In  so 
doing,  he  had  often  altered  and  amended  the  text ;  nay, 
it  was  discovered  that,  through  carelessness  or  design, 
he  had  occasionally  falsified  it,  and  rendered  it  absurd. 
He  had  even  made  his  alterations  and  amendments  mat- 
ters of  scoff  and  jest  among  his  companions,  observing 
that  if  the  Koran  proved  Mahomet  to  be  a  prophet,  he 
himself  must  be  half  a  prophet.  His  interpolations  be- 
ing detected,  he  had  fled  from  the  wrath  of  the  prophet, 
and  returned  to  Mecca,  where  he  relapsed  into  idolatry. 
On  the  capture  of  the  city  his  foster-brother  concealed 
him  in  his  house,  until  the  tumult  had  subsided,  when 
he  led  him  into  the  presence  of  the  prophet,  and  sup- 
plicated for  his  pardon.     This  was  the  severest  trial  of 


CLEMENCY  OF  THE  PROPHET.  259 

the  lenity  of  Mahomet.  The  offender  had  betrayed  his 
confidence ;  held  him  up  to  ridicule ;  questioned  his 
apostolic  mission,  and  struck  at  the  very  foundation  of 
his  faith.  For  some  time  he  maintained  a  stern  silence  ; 
hoping,  as  he  afterwards  declared,  some  zealous  disciple 
might  strike  off  the  offender's  head.  No  one,  however, 
stirred ;  so,  yielding  to  the  entreaties  of  Othman,  he 
granted  a  pardon.  Abdallah  instantly  renewed  his  pro- 
fession of  faith,  and  continued  a  good  Mussulman.  His 
name  will  be  found  in  the  wars  of  the  Caliphs.  He  was 
one  of  the  most  dexterous  horsemen  of  his  tribe,  and 
evinced  his  ruling  passion  to  the  last,  for  he  died  repeat- 
ing  the  hundredth  chapter  of  the  Koran,  entitled  "  The 
War  Steeds."  Perhaps  it  was  one  which  had  experienced 
his  interpolations. 

Another  of  the  proscribed  was  Akrema  Ibn  Abu  Jahl, 
who  on  many  occasions  had  manifested  a  deadly  hostility 
to  the  prophet,  inherited  from  his  father.  On  the  en- 
trance of  Mahomet  into  Mecca,  Akrema  threw  himself 
upon  a  fleet  horse,  and  escaped  by  an  opposite  gate,  leav- 
ing behind  him  a  beautiful  wife,  Omm  Hakem,  to  whom 
he  was  recently  married.  She  embraced  the  faith  of 
Islam,  but  soon  after  learned  that  her  husband,  in  at- 
tempting to  escape  by  sea  to  Yemen,  had  been  driven 
back  to  port.  Hastening  to  the  presence  of  the  prophet, 
she  threw  herself  on  her  knees  before  him,  loose,  di- 
shevelled, and  unveiled,  and  implored  grace  for  her  hus- 
band.    The  prophet,  probably  more  moved  by  her  beauty 


260  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

than  her  grief,  raised  her  gently  from  the  earth,  and  told 
her  her  prayer  was  granted.  Hurrying  to  the  sea-port, 
she  arrived  just  as  the  vessel  in  which  her  husband  had 
embarked  was  about  to  sail.  She  returned,  mounted  be- 
hind him,  to  Mecca,  and  brought  him,  a  true  believer, 
into  the  presence  of  the  prophet.  On  this  occasion,  how- 
ever, she  was  so  closely  veiled  that  her  dark  eyes  alone 
were  visible.  Mahomet  received  Akrema's  profession  of 
faith  ;  made  him  commander  of  a  battalion  of  Hawazen- 
ites,  as  the  dower  of  his  beautiful  and  devoted  wife,  and 
bestowed  liberal  donations  on  the  youthful  couple.  Like 
many  other  converted  enemies,  Akrema  proved  a  valiant 
soldier  in  the  wars  of  the  faith,  and  after  signalizing 
himself  on  various  occasions,  fell  in  battle,  hacked  and 
pierced  by  swords  and  lances. 

The  whole  conduct  of  Mahomet  on  gaining  possession 
of  Mecca,  showed  that  it  was  a  religious,  more  than  a 
military  triumph.  His  heart,  too,  softened  toward  his 
native  place,  now  that  it  was  in  his  power ;  his  resent- 
ments were  extinguished  by  success,  and  his  inclinations 
were  all  toward  forgiveness. 

The  Ansarians,  or  Auxiliaries  of  Medina,  who  had  aided 
him  in  his  campaign,  began  to  fear  that  its  success  might 
prove  fatal  to  their  own  interests.  They  watched  him 
anxiously,  as  one  day,  after  praying  on  the  hill  Al  Safa, 
he  sat  gazing  down  wistfully  upon  Mecca,  the  scene  of 
his  early  struggles  and  recent  glory  :  "  Verily,  "  said  he, 
"  thou   art  the  best  of  cities,  and  the  most  beloved  of 


ZEAL   OF  KHALED.  261 

Allah  !  Had  I  not  been  driven  out  from  thee  by  my  own 
tribe,  never  would  I  have  left  thee  !  "  On  hearing  this, 
the  Ansarians  said,  one  to  another,  "  Behold !  Mahomet 
is  conqueror  and  master  of  his  native  city  ;  he  will,  doubt- 
less, establish  himself  here,  and  forsake  Medina !  "  Their 
words  reached  his  ear,  and  he  turned  to  them  with  re- 
proachful warmth  :  "  No !  "  cried  he,  "  when  you  plighted 
to  me  your  allegiance,  I  swore  to  live  and  die  with  you. 
I  should  not  act  as  the  servant  of  God,  nor  as  his  ambas- 
sador, were  I  to  leave  you." 

He  acted  according  to  his  words,  and  Medina,  which 
had  been  his  city  of  refuge,  continued  to  be  his  residence 
to  his  dying  day. 

Mahomet  did  not  content  himself  with  purifying  the 
Caaba,  and  abolishing  idolatry  from  his  native  city ;  he 
sent  forth  his  captains  at  the  head  of  armed  bands,  to 
cast  down  the  idols  of  different  tribes  set  up  in  the  neigh- 
boring towns  and  villages,  and  to  convert  their  worship- 
pers to  his  faith. 

Of  all  these  military  apostles,  none  was  so  zealous  as 
Khaled ;  whose  spirit  was  still  fermenting  with  recent 
conversion.  Arriving  at  Naklah,  the  resort  of  the  idola- 
trous Koreishites  to  worship  at  the  shrine  of  Uzza,  he 
penetrated  the  sacred  grove,  laid  waste  the  temple,  and 
cast  the  idol  to  the  ground.  A  horrible  hag,  black  and 
naked,  with  dishevelled  hair,  rushed  forth,  shrieking 
and  wringing  her  hands  ;  but  Khaled  severed  her  through 
the  middle  with  one  blow  of  his  scimetar.    He  reported 


262  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

the  deed  to  Mahomet,  expressing  a  doubt  whether  she 
were  priestess  or  evil  spirit.  "  Of  a  truth,"  replied  the 
prophet,  "  it  was  Uzza  herself  whom  thou  hast  destroyed." 

On  a  similar  errand  into  the  neighboring  province  of 
Tehama,  Khaled  had  with  him  three  hundred  and  fifty 
men,  some  of  them  of  the  tribe  of  Suleim,  and  was  ac- 
companied by  Abda'lrahman,  one  of  the  earliest  prose- 
lytes of  the  faith.  His  instructions  from  the  prophet 
were  to  preach  peace  and  good  will,  to  inculcate  the 
faith,  and  to  abstain  from  violence,  unless  assailed. 
"When  about  two  days'  journey  on  his  way  to  Tehama,  he 
had  to  pass  through  the  country  of  the  tribe  of  Jadsima. 
Most  of  the  inhabitants  had  embraced  the  faith,  but 
some  were  still  of  the  Sabean  religion.  On  a  former 
occasion  this  tribe  had  plundered  and  slain  an  uncle  of 
Khaled,  also  the  father  of  Abda'lrahman,  and  several 
Suleimites,  as  they  were  returning  from  Arabia  Felix. 
Dreading  that  Khaled  and  his  host  might  take  ven- 
geance for  these  misdeeds,  they  armed  themselves  on 
their  approach. 

Khaled  was  secretly  rejoiced  at  seeing  them  ride  forth 
to  meet  him  in  this  military  array.  Hailing  them  with 
an  imperious  tone,  he  demanded  whether  they  were 
Moslems  or  infidels.  They  replied,  in  faltering  accents, 
"  Moslems."  "  Why  then  come  ye  forth  to  meet  us  with 
weapons  in  your  hands  ?  "  "  Because  we  have  enemies 
among  some  of  the  tribes  who  may  attack  us  unawares." 

Khaled  sternly  ordered  them  to  dismount  and  lay  by 


KIND  MISSION  OF  ALL  263 

their  weapons.  Some  complied,  and  were  instantly 
seized  and  bound ;  the  rest  fled.  Taking  their  flight  as  a 
confession  of  guilt,  he  pursued  them  with  great  slaugh- 
ter ;  laid  waste  the  country,  and  in  the  effervescence  of 
his  zeal  even  slew  some  of  the  prisoners. 

Mahomet,  when  he  heard  of  this  unprovoked  outrage, 
raised  his  hands  to  heaven,  and  called  God  to  witness 
that  he  was  innocent  of  it.  Khaled,  when  upbraided 
with  it  on  his  return,  would  fain  have  shifted  the  blame 
on  Abda'lrahman,  but  Mahomet  rejected  indignantly  an 
imputation  against  one  of  the  earliest  and  worthiest  of 
his  followers.  The  generous  Ali  was  sent  forthwith  to 
restore  to  the  people  of  Jadsima  what  Khaled  had 
wrested  from  them,  and  to  make  pecuniary  compensation 
to  the  relatives  of  the  slain.  It  was  a  mission  congenial 
with  his  nature,  and  he  executed  it  faithfully.  Inquiring 
into  the  losses  and  sufferings  of  each  individual,  he  paid 
him  to  his  full  content.  When  every  loss  was  made 
good,  and  all  blood  atoned  for,  he  distributed  the  re- 
maining money  among  the  people,  gladdening  every 
heart  by  his  bounty.  So  Ali  received  the  thanks  and 
praises  of  the  prophet,  but  the  vindictive  Khaled  was 
rebuked  even  by  those  whom  he  had  thought  to  please. 

"Behold! "  said  he,  to  Abda'lrahman,  "I  have  avenged 
the  death  of  thy  father."  "  Bather  say,"  replied  the  other, 
indignantly,  "  thou  hast  avenged  the  death  of  thine  uncle. 
Thou  hast  disgraced  the  faith  by  an  act  worthy  of  an 
idolater." 


CHAPTEK  XXXI. 

HOSTILITIES  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.— ENEMY'S  CAMP  IN  THE  VALLEY  OF  ATJTAft 
— BATTLE  OP  THE  PASS  OF  HONEIN.— CAPTURE  OF  THE  ENEMY'S  CAMP.— • 
INTERVIEW  OF  MAHOMET  WITH  THE  NURSE  OF  HIS  CHILDHOOD. — DIVISION 
OF  SPOIL.— MAHOMET   AT  HIS   MOTHER'S   GRAVE. 

HILE  the  military  apostles  of  Mahomet  were 
spreading  his  doctrines  at  the  point  of  the 
sword  in  the  plains,  a  hostile  storm  was  gather- 
ing in  the  mountains.  A  league  was  formed  among  the 
Thakefites,  the  Hawazins,  the  Joshmites,  the  Saadites, 
and  several  of  the  hardy  mountain  tribes  of  Bedouins,  to 
check  a  power  which  threatened  to  subjugate  all  Arabia. 
The  Saadites,  or  Beni  Sad,  here  mentioned,  are  the  same 
pastoral  Arabs  among  whom  Mahomet  had  been  nur- 
tured in  his  childhood ;  and  in  whose  valley,  according  to 
tradition,  his  heart  had  been  plucked  forth  and  purified 
by  an  angel.  The  Thakefites,  who  were  foremost  in  the 
league,  were  a  powerful  tribe,  possessing  the  strong 
mountain  town  of  Tayef  and  its  productive  territory. 
They  were  bigoted  idolaters  ;  maintaining  at  their  capital 
the  far-famed  shrine  of  the  female  idol  Al  Lat.     The 

reader  will  remember  the  ignominious  treatment  of  Ma- 

264 


ENEMY'S  CAMP.  265 

hornet,  when  he  attempted  to  preach  his  doctrines  at 
Tayef ;  being  stoned  in  the  public  square,  and  ultimately 
driven  with  insult  from  the  gates.  It  was  probably  a 
dread  of  vengeance  at  his  hands,  which  now  made  the 
Thakefites  so  active  in  forming  a  league  against  him. 

Malec  Ibn  Auf,  the  chief  of  the  Thakefites,  had  the 
general  command  of  the  confederacy.  He  appointed  the 
valley  of  Autas,  between  Honein  and  Tayef,  as  the  place 
of  assemblage  and  encampment ;  and  as  he  knew  the 
fickle  nature  of  the  Arabs,  and  their  proneness  to  return 
home  on  the  least  caprice,  he  ordered  them  to  bring  with 
them  their  families  and  effects.  They  assembled,  accord- 
ingly, from  various  parts,  to  the  number  of  four  thousand 
fighting  men ;  but  the  camp  was  crowded  with  women 
and  children,  and  encumbered  with  flocks  and  herds. 

The  expedient  of  Malec  Ibn  Auf  to  secure  the  adhesion 
of  the  warriors,  was  strongly  disapproved  by  Dor  aid,  the 
chief  of  the  Joshmites.  This  was  an  ancient  warrior, 
upwards  of  a  hundred  years  old ;  meagre  as  a  skeleton, 
almost  blind,  and  so  feeble  that  he  had  to  be  borne  in 
a  litter  on  the  back  of  a  camel.  Still,  though  unable  to 
mingle  in  the  battle,  he  was  potent  in  council  from  his 
military  experience.  This  veteran  of  the  desert  advised 
that  the  women  and  children  should  be  sent  home  forth- 
with, and  the  army  relieved  from  all  unnecessary  incum- 
brances. His  advice  was  not  taken,  and  the  valley  of 
Autas  continued  to  present  rather  the  pastoral  encamp- 
ment of  a  tribe,  than  the  hasty  levy  of  an  army. 


MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS 

In  the  meantime  Mahomet,  hearing  of  the  gathering 
storm,  had  sallied  forth  to  anticipate  it,  at  the  head 
of  about  twelve  thousand  troops,  partly  fugitives  from 
Mecca,  and  auxiliaries  from  Medina,  partly  Arabs  of  the 
desert,  some  of  whom  had  not  yet  embraced  the  faith. 

In  taking  the  field  he  wore  a  polished  cuirass  and 
helmet  and  rode  his  favorite  white  mule  Daldal,  seldom 
mounting  a  charger,  as  he  rarely  mingled  in  actual  fight. 
His  recent  successes  and  his  superiority  in  numbers, 
making  him  confident  of  an  easy  victory,  he  entered  the 
mountains  without  precaution,  and  pushing  forward  for 
the  enemy's  camp  at  Mutas,  came  to  a  deep,  gloomy  valley 
on  the  confines  of  Honein.  The  troops  marched  without 
order  through  the  rugged  defile,  each  one  choosing  his 
own  path.  Suddenly  they  were  assailed  by  showers  of 
darts,  stones  and  arrows,  which  lay  two  or  three  of  Ma- 
homet's soldiers  dead  at  his  feet,  and  wounded  several 
others.  Malec,  in  fact,  had  taken  post  with  his  ablest 
warriors  about  the  heights  commanding  this  narrow 
gorge.  Every  cliff  and  cavern  was  garrisoned  with  arch- 
ers and  slingers,  and  some  rushed  down  to  contend  at 
close  quarters. 

Struck  with  a  sudden  panic,  the  Moslems  turned  and 
fled.  In  vain  did  Mahomet  call  upon  them  as  their  gen- 
eral, or  appeal  to  them  as  the  prophet  of  God.  Each 
man  sought  but  his  own  safety,  and  an  escape  from  that 
horrible  valley. 

For  a  moment  all  seemed  lost,  and  some  recent  but 


THE  PASS  OF  HONEm.  267 

unwilling  converts  betrayed  an  exultation  in  the  sup- 
posed reverse  of  fortune  of  the  prophet. 

"  By  heavens ! "  cried  Abu  Sofian,  as  he  looked  aftei 
the  flying  Moslems,  "  nothing  will  stop  them  until  thej 
reach  the  sea." 

"Ay,"  exclaimed  another,  "the  magic  power  of  Mahom« 
et  is  at  an  end ! " 

A  third,  who  cherished  a  lurking  revenge  for  the  death 
of  his  father,  slain  by  the  Moslems  in  the  battle  of  Ohod, 
would  kave  killed  the  prophet  in  the  confusion,  had  he 
not  been  surrounded  and  protected  by  a  few  devoted  fol- 
lowers. Mahomet  himself,  in  an  impulse  of  desperation, 
spurred  his  mule  upon  the  enemy ;  but  Al  Abbas  seized 
the  bridle,  stayed  him  from  rushing  to  certain  death,  and 
at  the  same  time  put  up  a  shout  that  echoed  through  the 
narrow  valley.  Al  Abbas  was  renowned  for  strength  of 
lungs,  and  at  this  critical  moment  it  was  the  salvation  of 
the  army.  The  Moslems  rallied  when  they  heard  his 
well-known  voice,  and  finding  they  were  not  pursued,  re- 
turned to  the  combat.  The  enemy  had  descended  from 
the  heights,  and  now  a  bloody  conflict  ensued  in  the 
defile.  "  The  furnace  is  kindling,"  cried  Mahomet  exult- 
ingly,  as  he  saw  the  glitter  of  arms  and  flash  of  weapons. 
Stooping  from  his  saddle,  and  grasping  a  handful  of  dust, 
he  scattered  it  in  the  air  toward  the  enemy.  "  Confusion 
on  their  faces  ! "  cried  he,  "  may  this  dust  blind  them  ! " 
They  were  blinded  accordingly,  and  fled  in  confusion,  say 
the  Moslem  writers ;  though  their  defeat  may  rather  be 


268  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

attributed  to  the  Moslem  superiority  of  force,  and  the 
zeal  inspired  by  the  exclamations  of  the  prophet.  Malec 
and  the  Thakefites  took  refuge  in  the  distant  city  of 
Tayef,  the  rest  retreated  to  the  camp  in  the  Valley  of 
Autas. 

While  Mahomet  remained  in  the  Valley  of  Honein,  he 
sent  Abu  Amir  with  a  strong  force  to  attack  the  camp. 
The  Hawazins  made  a  brave  defense.     Abu  Amir  was 
slain ;   but  his  nephew,  Abu  Musa,  took  the  command, 
and  obtained  a  complete  victory,  killing  many  of  the 
enemy.     The  camp  afforded  great  booty  and  many  cap- 
tives, from  the  unwise  expedient  of  Malec  Ibn  Auf,  in 
encumbering  it  with  the  families  and  effects,  the  flocks 
and  herds  of  the  confederates  ;  and  from  his  disregard  of 
the  sage  advice  of  the  veteran  Doraid.     The  fate  of  that 
ancient  warrior   of  the   desert  is   worthy   of    mention. 
While  the  Moslem  troops,  scattered  through  the  camp, 
were  intent  on  booty,  Eabia  Ibn  Kafi,  a  young  Suleimite, 
observed  a  litter  borne  off  on  the  back  of  a  camel,  and 
pursued  it,  supposing  it  to  contain  some  beautiful  fe- 
male.     On   overtaking  it  and  drawing  the   curtain,  he 
beheld  the  skeleton  form  of  the  ancient  Doraid.     Vexed 
and  disappointed,  he  struck  at  him  with  his  sword,  but 
the  weapon  broke  in  his  hand.     "  Thy  mother,"  said  the 
old  man  sneeringly,  "  has  furnished  thee  with  wretched 
weapons  ;  thou  wilt  find  a  better  one  hanging  behind  my 
saddle." 

The  youth  seized  it,  but  as  he  drew  it  from  the  scab- 


THE  FOSTER-SISTER  OF  THE  PROPHET.  269 

bard,  Dor  aid  perceiving  that  lie  was  a  Suleimite,  ex- 
claimed, "  Tell  thy  mother  thou  hast  slain  Dor  aid  Ibn 
Simma,  who  has  protected  many  women  of  her  tribe  in 
the  day  of  battle."  The  words  were  ineffectual ;  the 
skull  of  the  veteran  was  cloven  with  his  own  scimetar. 
When  Eabia,  on  his  return  to  Mecca,  told  his  mother  ot 
the  deed,  "  Thou  hast  indeed  slain  a  benefactor  of  thy 
race,"  said  she  reproachfully.  "  Three  women  of  thy 
family  has  Doraid  Ibn  Simma  freed  from  captivity." 

Abu  Musa  returned  in  triumph  to  Mahomet,  making  a 
great  display  of  the  spoils  of  the  camp  of  Autas,  and  the 
women  and  children  whom  he  had  captured.  One  of  the 
female  captives  threw  herself  at  the  feet  of  the  prophet, 
and  implored  his  mercy  as  his  foster-sister  Al  Shima, 
the  daughter  of  his  nurse  Halema,  who  had  nurtured  him 
in  the  Saadite  valley.  Mahomet  sought  in  vain  to  recog- 
nize in  her  withered  features  the  bright  playmate  of  his 
infancy,  but  she  laid  bare  her  back,  and  showed  a  scar 
where  he  had  bitten  her  in  their  childish  gambols.  He 
no  longer  doubted ;  but  treated  her  with  kindness,  giving 
her  the  choice  either  to  remain  with  him  and  under  his 
protection,  or  to  return  to  her  home  and  kindred. 

A  scruple  rose  among  the  Moslems  with  respect  to 
their  female  captives.  Could  they  take  to  themselves 
such  as  were  married,  without  committing  the  sin  of 
adultery  ?  The  revelation  of  a  text  of  the  Koran  put  an 
end  to  the  difficulty.  "  Ye  shall  not  take  to  wife  free 
women  who  are  married,  unless  your  right  hand  shall 


270  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

have  made  them  slaves."  According  to  this  all  women 
taken  in  war  may  be  made  the  wives  of  the  captors, 
though  their  former  husbands  be  living.  The  victors  of 
Honein  failed  not  to  take  immediate  advantage  of  this 
law. 

Leaving  the  captives  and  the  booty  in  a  secure  place, 
and  properly  guarded,  Mahomet  now  proceeded  in  pur- 
suit of  the  Thakefites  who  had  taken  refuge  in  Tayef.  A 
sentiment  of  vengeance  mingled  with  his  pious  ardor  as 
he  approached  this  idolatrous  place,  the  scene  of  former 
injury  and  insult,  and  beheld  the  gate  whence  he  had 
once  been  ignominiously  driven  forth.  The  walls  were 
too  strong,  however,  to  be  stormed,  and  there  was  a 
protecting  castle ;  for  the  first  time,  therefore,  he  had 
recourse  to  catapults,  battering-rams,  and  other  engines 
used  in  sieges,  but  unknown  in  Arabian  warfare.  These 
were  prepared  under  the  direction  of  Salman  al  Farsi, 
the  converted  Persian. 

The  besieged,  however,  repulsed  every  attack,  galling 
the  assailants  with  darts  and  arrows,  and  pouring  down 
melted  iron  upon  the  shields  of  bull-hides,  under  covert 
of  which  they  approached  the  walls.  Mahomet  now  laid 
waste  the  fields,  the  orchards,  and  vineyards,  and  pro- 
claimed freedom  to  all  slaves  who  should  desert  from  the 
city.  For  twenty  days  he  carried  on  an  ineffectual  siege 
— daily  offering  up  prayers  midway  between  the  tents  of 
his  wives  Omm  Salama  and  Zeinab,  to  whom  it  had  fallen 
by  lot  to  accompany  him  in  this  campaign.    His  hopes  of 


THE  NURSE  OF  THE  PROPHET.  271 

success  began  to  fail,  and  he  was  further  discouraged 
"by  a  dream,  which  was  unfavorably  interpreted  by  Abu 
Beker,  renowned  for  his  skill  in  expounding  visions.  He 
would  have  raised  the  siege,  but  his  troops  murmured ; 
whereupon  he  ordered  an  assault  upon  one  of  the  gates. 
As  usual,  it  was  obstinately  defended;  numbers  were 
slain  on  both  sides  :  Abu  Sofian,  who  fought  valiantly  on 
the  occasion,  lost  an  eye,  and  the  Moslems  were  finally 
repulsed. 

Mahomet  now  broke  up  his  camp,  promising  his  troops 
to  renew  the  siege  at  a  future  day,  and  proceeded  to  the 
place  where  were  collected  the  spoils  of  his  expedition. 
These,  say  Arabian  writers,  amounted  to  twenty-four 
thousand  camels,  forty  thousand  sheep,  four  thousand 
ounces  of  silver,  and  six  thousand  captives. 

In  a  little  while  appeared  a  deputation  from  the  Hawa- 
zins,  declaring  the  submission  of  their  tribe,  and  begging 
the  restoration  of  their  families  and  effects.  With  them 
came  Halema,  Mahomet's  foster-nurse,  now  well  stricken 
in  years.  The  recollections  of  his  childhood  again 
pleaded  with  his  heart.  "  Which  is  dearest  to  you,"  said 
he  to  the  Hawazins,  "  your  families  or  your  goods  ?  " 
They  replied,  "  Our  families." 

"  Enough,"  rejoined  he,  "as  far  as  it  concerns  Al 
Abbas  and  myself,  we  are  ready  to  give  up  our  share  of 
the  prisoners ;  but  there  are  others  to  be  moved.  Come 
to  me  after  noontide  prayer,  and  say,  '  we  implore  the 
ambassador  of  God  that  he  counsel  his  followers  to  re- 


272  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

turn  us  our  wives  and  children ;  and  we  implore  his  fol- 
lowers that  they  intercede  with  him  in  our  favor.' " 

The  envoys  did  as  he  advised.  Mahomet  and  Al 
Abbas  immediately  renounced  their  share  of  the  cap- 
tives ;  their  example  was  followed  by  all  excepting  the 
tribes  of  Tamim  and  Fazara,  but  Mahomet  brought  them 
to  consent  by  promising  them  a  sixfold  share  of  the  pris- 
oners taken  in  the  next  expedition.  Thus  the  interces- 
sion of  Halema  procured  the  deliverance  of  all  the  cap- 
tives of  her  tribe.  A  traditional  anecdote  shows  the 
deference  with  which  Mahomet  treated  this  humble  pro- 
tector of  his  infancy.  "  I  was  sitting  with  the  prophet," 
said  one  of  his  disciples,  "  when  all  of  a  sudden  a  woman 
presented  herself,  and  he  rose  and  spread  his  cloth  for 
her  to  sit  down  upon.  When  she  went  away,  it  was  ob- 
served, '  that  woman  suckled  the  prophet.'  " 

Mahomet  now  sent  an  envoy  to  Malec,  who  remained 
shut  up  in  Tayef,  offering  the  restitution  of  all  the  spoils 
taken  from  him  at  Honein,  and  a  present  of  one  hun- 
dred camels,  if  he  would  submit  and  embrace  the  faith. 
Malec  was  conquered  and  converted  by  this  liberal  offer, 
and  brought  several  of  his  confederate  tribes  with  him  to 
the  standard  of  the  prophet.  He  was  immediately  made 
their  chief,  and  proved,  subsequently,  a  severe  scourge 
in  the  cause  of  the  faith  to  his  late  associates  the  Thake- 
fites. 

The  Moslems  now  began  to  fear  that  Mahomet,  in 
these  magnanimous  impulses,  might  squander  away  al? 


SEARING   THE  SPOILS.  273 

the  gains  of  their  recent  battles ;  thronging  around  him, 
therefore,  they  clamored  for  a  division  of  the  spoils  and 
captives.  Kegarding  them,  indignantly,  "Have  you 
ever,"  said  he,  "found  me  avaricious,  or  false,  or  dis- 
loyal ?  "  Then  plucking  a  hair  from  the  back  of  a  camel, 
and  raising  his  voice,  "  By  Allah ! "  cried  he,  "  I  have 
never  taken  from  the  common  spoil  the  value  of  that 
camel's  hair  more  than  my  fifth;  and  that  fifth  has 
always  been  expended  for  your  good." 

He  then  shared  the  booty  as  usual ;  four-fifths  among 
the  troops ;  but  his  own  fifth  he  distributed  among  those 
whose  fidelity  he  wished  to  insure.  The  Koreishites  he 
considered  dubious  allies  ;  perhaps  he  had  overheard  the 
exultation  of  some  of  them  in  anticipation  of  his  defeat ; 
he  now  sought  to  rivet  them  to  him  by  gifts.  To  Abu 
Sofian  he  gave  one  hundred  camels  and  forty  okks  of  sil- 
ver, in  compensation  for  the  eye  lost  in  the  attack  on  the 
gate  of  Tayef.  To  Akrema  Ibn  Abu  Jahl,  and  others  of 
like  note,  he  gave  in  due  proportions,  and  all  from  his 
own  share. 

Among  the  lukewarm  converts  thus  propitiated,  was 
Abbas  Ibn  Mardas,  a  poet.  He  was  dissatisfied  with  his 
share,  and  vented  his  discontent  in  satirical  verses.  Ma- 
homet overheard  him.  "  Take  that  man  hence,"  said  he, 
"  and  cut  out  his  tongue."  Omar,  ever  ready  for  rigor- 
ous measures,  would  have  executed  the  sentence  literally, 
and  on  the  spot ;  but  others,  better  instructed  in  the 
prophet's  meaning,  led  Abbas,  all  trembling,  to  the  pub- 
vol.  i.— 18 


274  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

lie  square  where  the  captured  cattle  were  collected,  and 
bade  him  choose  what  he  liked  from  among  them. 

"  What ! "  cried  the  poet,  joyously,  relieved  from  the 
horrors  of  mutilation,  "  is  this  the  way  the  prophet 
would  silence  my  tongue  ?  By  Allah  !  I  will  take  noth- 
ing." Mahomet,  however,  persisted  in  his  politic  gener- 
osity, and  sent  him  sixty  camels.  From  that  time  for- 
ward the  poet  was  never  weary  of  chanting  the  liberality 
of  the  prophet. 

While  thus  stimulating  the  good-will  of  lukewarm  pros- 
elytes of  Mecca,  Mahomet  excited  the  murmurs  of  his 
auxiliaries  of  Medina.  "  See,"  said  they,  "  how  he  lav- 
ishes gifts  upon  the  treacherous  Koreishites,  while  we, 
who  have  been  loyal  to  him  through  all  dangers,  receive 
nothing  but  our  naked  share.  What  have  we  done  that 
we  should  be  thus  thrown  into  the  background  ?  " 

Mahomet  was  told  of  their  murmurs,  and  summoned 
their  leaders  to  his  tent.  "  Hearken,  ye  men  of  Medina," 
said  he  ;  "  were  ye  not  in  discord  among  yourselves,  and 
have  I  not  brought  you  into  harmony  ?  Were  ye  not  in 
error,  and  have  I  not  brought  you  into  the  path  of  truth  ? 
Were  ye  not  poor,  and  have  I  not  made  you  rich  ?  " 

They  acknowledged  the  truth  of  his  words.  "Look 
ye ! "  continued  he,  "  I  came  among  you  stigmatized  as 
a  liar,  yet  you  believed  in  me  ;  persecuted,  yet  you  pro- 
tected me ;  a  fugitive,  yet  you  sheltered  me ;  helpless, 
yet  you  aided  me.  Think  you  I  do  not  feel  all  this? 
Think  you  I  can  be  ungrateful?     You  complain  that  I 


TEE  PROPHET'S  APPEAL.  275 

bestow  gifts  upon  these  people,  and  give  none  to  you.  It 
is  true,  I  give  them  worldly  gear,  but  it  is  to  win  their 
worldly  hearts.  To  you,  who  have  been  true,  I  give — 
myself !  They  return  home  with  sheep  and  camels ;  ye 
return  with  the  prophet  of  God  among  you.  For  by  him 
in  whose  hands  is  the  soul  of  Mahomet,  though  the  whole 
world  should  go  one  way  and  ye  another,  I  would  remain 
with  you !     Which  of  you,  then,  have  I  most  rewarded  ?  " 

The  auxiliaries  were  moved  even  to  tears  by  this  ap- 
peal. "  O  prophet  of  God,"  exclaimed  they,  "  we  are  con- 
tent with  our  lot !  " 

The  booty  being  divided,  Mahomet  returned  to  Mecca, 
not  with  the  parade  and  exultation  of  a  conqueror,  but  in 
pilgrim  garb,  to  complete  the  rites  of  his  pilgrimage.  All 
these  being  scrupulously  performed,  he  appointed  Moad 
Ibn  Jabal  as  iman,  or  pontiff,  to  instruct  the  people  in  the 
doctrines  of  Islam,  and  gave  the  government  of  the  city 
into  the  hands  of  Otab,  a  youth  but  eighteen  years  of 
age;  after  which  he  bade  farewell  to  his  native  place, 
and  set  out  with  his  troops  on  the  return  to  Medina. 

Arriving  at  the  village  of  Al  Abwa,  where  his  mother 
was  buried,  his  heart  yearned  to  pay  a  filial  tribute  to 
her  memory,  but  his  own  revealed  law  forbade  any 
respect  to  the  grave  of  one  who  had  died  in  unbelief.  In 
the  strong  agitation  of  his  feelings  he  implored  from 
heaven  a  relaxation  of  this  law.  If  there  was  any  decep- 
tion on  an  occasion  of  this  kind,  one  would  imagine  it 
must  have  been  self-deception,  and  that  he  really  believed 


276  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

in  a  fancied  intimation  from  heaven  relaxing  the  law,  in 
part,  in  the  present  instance,  and  permitting  him  to  visit 
the  grave.  He  burst  into  tears  on  arriving  at  this  trying 
place  of  the  tenderest  affections ;  but  tears  were  all  the 
filial  tribute  he  was  permitted  to  offer.  "  I  asked  leave 
of  God,"  said  he,  mournfully,  "to  visit  my  mother's 
grave,  and  it  was  granted;  but  when  I  asked  leave  tc 
pray  for  her,  it  was  denied  me ! " 


CHAPTEB  XXXII. 

DBATH  OP  THE  PROPHET'S  DAUGHTER  ZEINAB  —  BIRTH  OP  HIS  SON  IBRAHIM. 
— DEPUTATIONS  FROM  DISTANT  TRIBES. — POETICAL  CONTEST  IK  PRESENCE 
OP  THE  PROPHET. — HIS  SUSCEPTIBILITY  TO  THE  CHARMS  OF  POETRY. — 
REDUCTION  OF  THE  CITY  OF  TAYEF  ;  DESTRUCTION  OF  ITS  IDOLS. — NEGO- 
TIATION WITH  AMIR  IBN  TAFIEL,  A  PROUD  BEDOUIN  CHIEF  ;  INDEPENDENT 
SPIRIT  OF  THE  LATTER. — INTERVIEW  OF  ADI,  ANOTHER  CHIEF,  WITH  MA- 
HOMET. 

HOKTLY  after  his  return  to  Medina,  Mahomet 
was  afflicted  by  the  death  of  his  daughter  Zei- 
nab,  the  same  who  had  been  given  up  to  him 
in  exchange  for  her  husband  Abul  Aass,  the  unbeliever, 
captured  at  the  battle  of  Beder.  The  domestic  affec- 
tions of  the  prophet  were  strong,  and  he  felt  deeply  this 
bereavement ;  he  was  consoled,  however,  by  the  birth  of 
a  son,  by  his  favorite  concubine  Mariyah.  He  called  the 
child  Ibrahim,  and  rejoiced  in  the  hope,  that  this  son  of 
his  old  age,  his  only  male  issue  living,  would  continue 
his  name  to  after  generations. 

His  fame,  either  as  a  prophet  or  a  conqueror,  was  now 
spreading  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  Arabia,  and  depu- 
tations from  distant  tribes  were  continually  arriving  at 
Medina,  some  acknowledging  him  as  a  prophet  and  em- 

277 


278  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

bracing  Islamism,  others  submitting  to  him  as  a  temporal 
sovereign,  and  agreeing  to  pay  tribute.  The  talents  of 
Mahomet  rose  to  the  exigency  of  the  moment ;  his  views 
expanded  with  his  fortunes,  and  he  now  proceeded  with 
statesmanlike  skill  to  regulate  the  fiscal  concerns  of  his 
rapidly  growing  empire.  Under  the  specious  appella- 
tion of  alms,  a  contribution  was  levied  on  true  believers, 
amounting  to  a  tithe  of  the  productions  of  the  earth, 
where  it  was  fertilized  by  brooks  and  rain ;  and  a  twen- 
tieth part  where  its  fertility  was  the  result  of  irrigation. 
For  every  ten  camels,  two  sheep  were  required ;  for  forty 
head  of  cattle,  one  cow ;  for  thirty  head,  a  two  years' 
calf;  for  every  forty  sheep,  one;  whoever  contributed 
more  than  at  this  rate,  would  be  considered  so  much  the 
more  devout,  and  would  gain  a  proportionate  favor  in  the 
eyes  of  God. 

The  tribute  exacted  from  those  who  submitted  to  tem- 
poral sway,  but  continued  in  unbelief,  was  at  the  rate  of 
one  dinar  in  money  or  goods,  for  each  adult  person,  bond 
or  free. 

Some  difficulty  occurred  in  collecting  the  charitable 
contributions  ;  the  proud  tribe  of  Tamim  openly  resisted 
them,  and  drove  away  the  collector.  A  troop  of  Arab 
horse  was  sent  against  them,  and  brought  away  a  number 
of  men,  women  and  children,  captives.  A  deputation  of 
the  Tamimites  came  to  reclaim  the  prisoners.  Four  of 
the  deputies  were  renowned  as  orators  and  poets,  and  in- 
stead of  humbling  themselves  before  Mahomet,  proceeded 


POETICAL  CONTEST.  279 

to  declaim  in  prose  and  verse,  defying  the  Moslems  to  a 
poetical  contest. 

"  I  am  not  sent  by  God  as  a  poet,"  replied  Mahomet, 
"  neither  do  I  seek  fame  as  an  orator." 

Some  of  his  followers,  however,  accepted  the  challenge, 
and  a  war  of  ink  ensued,  in  which  the  Tamimites  ac- 
knowledged themselves  vanquished.  So  well  pleased  was 
Mahomet  with  the  spirit  of  their  defiance,  with  their 
poetry,  and  with  their  frank  acknowledgment  of  defeat, 
that  he  not  merely  gave  them  up  the  prisoners,  but  dis- 
missed them  with  presents. 

Another  instance  of  his  susceptibility  to  the  charms 
of  poetry  is  recorded  in  the  case  of  Caab  Ibn  Zohair,  a 
celebrated  poet  of  Mecca,  who  had  made  him  the  subject 
of  satirical  verses,  and  had  consequently  been  one  of  the 
proscribed  ;  but  had  fled  on  the  capture  of  the  sacred 
city.  Caab  now  came  to  Medina  to  make  his  peace,  and 
approaching  Mahomet  when  in  the  mosque,  began  chant- 
ing his  praises  in  a  poem  afterwards  renowned  among 
the  Arabs  as  a  masterpiece.  He  concluded  by  especially 
extolling  his  clemency,  "  for  with  the  prophet  of  God  the 
pardon  of  injuries  is,  of  all  his  virtues,  that  on  which  one 
£an  rely  with  the  greatest  certainty." 

Captivated  with  the  verse,  and  soothed  by  the  flattery, 
Mahomet  made  good  the  poet's  words,  for  he  not  merely 
forgave  him,  but  taking  off  his  own  mantle,  threw  it  upon 
his  shoulders.  The  poet  preserved  the  sacred  garment 
to  the  day  of  his  death,  refusing  golden  offers  for  it.    The 


280  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSOMS. 

Caliph  Moawyah  purchased  it  of  his  heirs  for  ten  thou- 
sand  drachmas,  and  it  continued  to  be  worn  by  the 
Caliphs  in  processions  and  solemn  ceremonials,  until  the 
thirty-sixth  Caliphat,  when  it  was  torn  from  the  back  of 
the  Caliph  Al-Most'-asem  Billah,  by  Holagu,  the  Tartar 
conqueror,  and  burnt  to  ashes. 

While  town  after  town,  and  castle  after  castle  of  the 
Arab  tribes  were  embracing  the  faith,  and  professing 
allegiance  to  Mahomet,  Tayef,  the  stronghold  of  the 
Thakefites,  remained  obstinate  in  the  worship  of  its 
boasted  idol  Al  Lat.  The  inhabitants  confided  in  their 
mountain  position,  and  in  the  strength  of  their  walls  and 
castle.  But,  though  safe  from  assault,  they  found  them- 
selves gradually  hemmed  in  and  isolated  by  the  Mos- 
lems, so  that  at  length  they  could  not  stir  beyond  their 
walls  without  being  attacked.  Thus  threatened  and  har- 
assed, they  sent  ambassadors  to  Mahomet  to  treat  for 
peace. 

The  prophet  oherished  a  deep  resentment  against  this 
stiff-necked  and  most  idolatrous  city,  which  had  at  one 
time  ejected  him  from  its  gates,  and  at  another  time  re- 
pulsed him  from  its  walls.  His  terms  were  conversion 
and  unqualified  submission.  The  ambassadors  readily 
consented  to  embrace  Islamism  themselves,  but  pleaded 
the  danger  of  suddenly  shocking  the  people  of  Tayef,  by 
a  demand  to  renounce  their  ancient  faith.  In  their  name, 
therefore,  they  entreated  permission  for  three  years 
longer,  to  worship  their  ancient  idol  Al  Lat.     The  re- 


DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  IDOL  AL  LAT.  281 

quest  was  peremptorily  denied.  They  then  asked  at 
least  one  month's  delay,  to  prepare  the  public  mind. 
This  likewise  was  refused,  all  idolatry  being  incompati- 
ble with  the  worship  of  God.  They  then  entreated  to  be 
excused  from  the  observance  of  the  daily  prayers. 

"  There  can  be  no  true  religion  without  prayer,"  re- 
plied Mahomet.  In  fine,  they  were  compelled  to  make 
an  unconditional  submission. 

Abu  Sofian,  Ibn  Harb,  and  Al  Mogheira,  were  sent  to 
Tayef,  to  destroy  the  idol  Al  Lat,  which  was  of  stone. 
Abu  Sofian  struck  at  it  with  a  pick-axe,  but  missing  his 
blow  fell  prostrate  on  his  face.  The  populace  set  up  a 
shout,  considering  it  a  good  augury  ;  but  Al  Mogheira 
demolished  their  hopes,  and  the  statue,  at  one  blow  of  a 
sledge-hammer.  He  then  stripped  it  of  the  costly  robes, 
the  bracelets,  the  necklace,  the  ear-rings,  and  other  orna- 
ments of  gold  and  precious  stones  wherewith  it  had  been 
decked  by  its  worshippers,  and  left  it  in  fragments  on 
the  ground,  with  the  women  of  Tayef  weeping  and  la- 
menting over  it.* 

Among  those  who  still  defied  the  power  of  Mahomet, 
was  the  Bedouin  chief  Amir  Ibn  Tufiel,  head  of  the 
powerful  tribe  of  Amir.     He  was  renowned  for  personal 

*  The  Thakefites  continue  a  powerful  tribe  to  this  day ;  possessing  the 
same  fertile  region  on  the  eastern  declivity  of  the  Hedjas  chain  of  moun- 
tains. Some  inhabit  the  ancient  town  of  Tayef,  others  dwell  in  tents  and 
have  flocks  of  goats  and  sheep.  They  can  raise  two  thousand  matchlocks, 
and  defended  their  stronghold  of  Tayef  in  the  wars  with  the  Wahabys.— 
BurcTchardfs  Notes,  v.  2. 


282  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

beauty  and  princely  magnificence  ;  but  was  of  a  haughty 
spirit,  and  his  magnificence  partook  of  ostentation.  At 
the  great  fair  of  Okaz,  between  Tayef  and  Naklah,  where 
merchants,  pilgrims,  and  poets,  were  accustomed  to  as- 
semble from  all  parts  of  Arabia,  a  herald  would  pro- 
claim :  "  Whoso  wants  a  beast  of  burden,  let  him  come  to 
Amir ;  is  any  one  hungry,  let  him  come  to  Amir,  and  he 
will  be  fed ;  is  he  persecuted,  let  him  fly  to  Amir,  and  he 
will  be  protected." 

Amir  had  dazzled  every  one  by  his  generosity,  and 
his  ambition  had  kept  pace  with  his  popularity.  The 
rising  power  of  Mahomet  inspired  him  with  jealousy. 
When  advised  to  make  terms  with  him  ;  "I  have  sworn," 
replied  he  haughtily,  "  never  to  rest  until  I  had  won  all 
Arabia  ;  and  shall  I  do  homage  to  this  Koreishite  ?  " 

The  recent  conquests  of  the  Moslems,  however,  brought 
him  to  listen  to  the  counsels  of  his  friends.  He  repaired 
to  Medina,  and  coming  into  the  presence  of  Mahomet, 
demanded  frankly,  "  Wilt  thou  be  my  friend  ?  " 

"  Never,  by  Allah  ! "  was  the  reply,  "  unless  thou  dost 
embrace  the  faith  of  Islam  ?  " 

"  And  if  I  do,  wilt  thou  content  thyself  with  the  sway 
over  the  Arabs  of  the  cities,  and  leave  to  me  the  Be- 
douins of  the  deserts  ?  " 

Mahomet  replied  in  the  negative. 

"  What  then  will  I  gain  by  embracing  thy  faith  ?  " 

"  The  fellowship  of  all  true  believers." 

"I  covet    no  such    fellowship!"    replied  the   proud 


FLIGHT  OF  ADI.  283 

Amir  ;  and  with  a  warlike  menace  he  returned  to  his 
tribe. 

A  Bedouin  chieftain  of  a  different  character  was  Adi, 
a  prince  of  the  tribe  of  Tai.  His  father  Hatim  had  been 
famous,  not  merely  for  warlike  deeds,  but  for  boundless 
generosity,  insomuch  that  the  Arabs  were  accustomed  to 
say,  "as  generous  as  Hatim."  Adi  the  son  was  a  Chris- 
tian ;  and  however  he  might  have  inherited  his  father's 
generosity,  was  deficient  in  his  valor.  Alarmed  at  the 
ravaging  expeditions  of  the  Moslems,  he  ordered  a  young 
Arab,  who  tended  his  camels  in  the  desert,  to  have  sev- 
eral of  the  strongest  and  fleetest  at  hand,  and  to  give 
instant  notice  of  the  approach  of  an  enemy. 

It  happened  that  Ali,  who  was  scouring  that  part  of 
the  country  with  a  band  of  horsemen,  came  in  sight, 
bearing  with  him  two  banners,  one  white,  the  other 
black.  The  young  Bedouin  beheld  them  from  afar,  and 
ran  to  Adi,  exclaiming,  "  the  Moslems  are  at  hand.  I  see 
their  banners  at  a  distance  ! "  Adi  instantly  placed  his 
wife  and  children  on  the  camels,  and  fled  to  Syria.  His 
sister,  surnamed  Saffana,  or  the  Pearl,  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  Moslems,  and  was  carried  with  other  captives  to 
Medina.  Seeing  Mahomet  pass  near  to  the  place  of  her 
confinement,  she  cried  to  him  : 

"Have  pity  upon  me,  O  ambassador  of  God!  My 
father  is  dead,  and  he  who  should  have  protected  has 
abandoned  me.  Have  pity  upon  me,  O  ambassador  of 
God,  as  God  may  have  pity  upon  thee !  " 


284  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

"  Who  is  thy  protector  ?  "  asked  Mahomet. 

"  Adi,  the  son  of  Hatim." 

"He  is  a  fugitive  from  God  and  his  prophet,"  replied 
Mahomet,  and  passed  on. 

On  the  following  day,  as  Mahomet  was  passing  by,  Ali, 
who  had  been  touched  by  the  woman's  beauty  and  her 
grief,  whispered  to  her  to  arise  and  entreat  the  prophet 
once  more.  She  accordingly  repeated  her  prayer.  "  O 
prophet  of  God !  my  father  is  dead ;  my  brother,  who 
should  have  been  my  protector,  has  abandoned  me. 
Have  mercy  upon  me,  as  God  will  have  mercy  upon  thee." 

Mahomet  turned  to  her  benignantly.  "  Be  it  so,"  said 
he ;  and  he  not  only  set  her  free,  but  gave  her  raiment 
and  a  camel,  and  sent  her  by  the  first  caravan  bound  to 
Syria. 

Arriving  in  the  presence  of  her  brother,  she  upbraided 
him  with  his  desertion.  He  acknowledged  his  fault  and 
was  forgiven.  She  then  urged  him  to  make  his  peace 
with  Mahomet ;  "  he  is  truly  a  prophet,"  said  she,  "  and 
will  soon  have  universal  sway ;  hasten,  therefore,  in  time 
to  win  his  favor." 

The  politic  Adi  listened  to  her  counsel,  and  hastening 
to  Medina,  greeted  the  prophet,  who  was  in  the  mosque. 
His  own  account  of  the  interview  presents  a  striking  pic- 
ture of  the  simple  manners  and  mode  of  life  of  Mahomet, 
now  in  the  full  exercise  of  sovereign  power,  and  the 
career  of  rapid  conquest.  "  He  asked  me,"  says  Adi,  "  my 
name,  and  when  I  gave  it,  invited  me  to  accompany  him 


ADI'S  INTERVIEW  WITH  THE  PROPHET,         285 

to  his  home.  On  the  way  a  weak  emaciated  woman  ac- 
costed him.  He  stopped  and  talked  to  her  of  her  affairs. 
This,  thought  I  to  myself,  is  not  very  kingly.  When  we 
arrived  at  his  house,  he  gave  me  a  leathern  cushion 
stuffed  with  palm-leaves  to  sit  upon,  while  he  sat  upon 
the  bare  ground.     This,  thought  I,  is  not  very  princely  ! 

"  He  then  asked  me  three  times  to  embrace  Islamism. 
I  replied,  'I  have  a  faith  of  my  own.'  'I  know  thy 
faith,'  said  he,  '  better  than  thou  dost  thyself.  As  prince, 
thou  takest  one  fourth  of  the  booty  from  thy  people.  Is 
this  Christian  doctrine?'  By  these  words  I  perceived 
him  to  be  a  prophet,  who  knew  more  than  other  men. 

"  '  Thou  dost  not  incline  to  Islamism,'  continued  he, 
'  because  thou  seest  we  are  poor.  The  time  is  at  hand 
when  true  believers  will  have  more  wealth  than  they  will 
know  how  to  manage.  Perhaps  thou  art  deterred  by 
seeing  the  small  number  of  the  Moslems  in  comparison 
with  the  hosts  of  their  enemies.  By  Allah !  in  a  little 
while  a  Moslem  woman  will  be  able  to  make  a  pilgrimage 
on  her  camel,  alone  and  fearless,  from  Kadesia  to  God's 
temple  at  Mecca.  Thou  thinkest,  probably,  that  the 
might  is  in  the  hands  of  the  unbelievers ;  know  that  the 
time  is  not  far  off  when  we  will  plant  our  standards  on 
the  white  castles  of  Babylon.'  "* 

The  politic  Adi  believed  in  the  prophecy,  an,d  forth* 
with  embraced  the  faith. 

*  Weil's  Mohammed,  p.  247. 


CHAPTEE  XXXin. 

PREPARATIONS  FOR  AN  EXPEDITION  AGAINST  STRIA. — INTRIGUES  OF  ABDALLAH 
IBN  OBBA.— CONTRIBUTIONS  OF  THE  FAITHFUL. — MARCH  OF  THE  ARMY.— 
THE  ACCURSED  REGION  OF  HAJAR. — ENCAMPMENT  AT  TABUC—  SUBJUGA- 
TION OF  THE  NEIGHBORING  PROVINCES. — KHALED  SURPRISES  OKAIDER  AND 
HIS  CASTLE.— RETURN  OF   THE  ARMY  TO  MEDINA. 

AHOMET  had  now,  either  by  conversion  or 
conquest,  made  himself  sovereign  of  almost  all 
Arabia.     The  scattered  tribes,  heretofore  dan- 


gerous to  each  other,  but  by  their  disunion  powerless 
against  the  rest  of  the  world,  he  had  united  into  one 
nation,  and  thus  fitted  for  external  conquest.  His  pro- 
phetic character  gave  him  absolute  control  of  the  formi- 
dable power  thus  conjured  up  in  the  desert,  and  he  was 
now  prepared  to  lead  it  forth  for  the  propagation  of  the 
faith,  and  the  extension  of  the  Moslem  power  in  foreign 
lands. 

His  numerous  victories,  and  the  recent  affair  at  Muta. 
had  at  length,  it  is  said,  roused  the  attention  of  the 
Emperor  Heraclius,  who  was  assembling  an  army  on  the 
confines  of  Arabia  to  crush  this  new  enemy.  Mahomet 
determined  to  anticipate  his  hostilities,  and  to  carry  the 
standard  of  the  faith  into  the  very  heart  of  Syria. 

286 


SYRIAN  CAMPAIGN.  287 

Hitherto  he  had  undertaken  his  expeditions  with  se- 
crecy ;  imparting  his  plans  and  intentions  to  none  but 
his  most  confidential  officers,  and  beguiling  his  followers 
into  enterprises  of  danger.  The  present  campaign,  how- 
ever, so  different  from  the  brief  predatory  excursions  of 
the  Arabs,  would  require  great  preparations ;  an  unusual 
force  was  to  be  assembled,  and  all  kinds  of  provision 
made  for  distant  marches,  and  a  long  absence.  He  pro- 
claimed openly,  therefore,  the  object  and  nature  of  the 
enterprise. 

There  was  not  the  usual  readiness  to  flock  to  his 
standard.  Many  remembered  the  disastrous  affair  at 
Muta,  and  dreaded  to  come  again  in  conflict  with  disci- 
plined Koman  troops.  The  time  of  year  also  was  unpro- 
pitious  for  such  a  distant  and  prolonged  expedition.  It 
was  the  season  of  summer  heat ;  the  earth  was  parched, 
and  the  springs  and  brooks  were  dried  up.  The  date- 
harvest  too  was  approaching,  when  the  men  should  be  at 
home  to  gather  the  fruit,  rather  than  abroad  on  preda- 
tory  enterprises. 

All  these  things  were  artfully  urged  upon  the  people 
by  Abdallah  Ibn  Obba,  the  Khazradite,  who  continued  to 
be  the  covert  enemy  of  Mahomet,  and  seized  every  occa- 
sion to  counteract  his  plans.  "  A  fine  season  this,"  would 
he  cry, "  to  undertake  such  a  distant  march  in  defiance  of 
dearth  and  drought,  and  the  fervid  heat  of  the  desert ! 
Mahomet  seems  to  think  a  war  with  Greeks  quite  a  mat- 
ter of  sport ;  trust  me,  you  will  find  it  very  different  from 


288  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

a  war  of  Arab  against  Arab.     By  Allah  !  methinks  I  al* 
ready  see  you  all  in  chains." 

By  these  and  similar  scoffs  and  suggestions,  he 
wrought  upon  the  fears  and  feelings  of  the  Khazradites, 
his  partisans,  and  rendered  the  enterprise  generally  un- 
popular. Mahomet,  as  usual,  had  resort  to  revelation. 
"  Those  who  would  remain  behind,  and  refuse  to  devote 
themselves  to  the  service  of  God,"  said  a  timely  chapter 
of  the  Koran,  "  allege  the  summer  heat  as  an  excuse. 
Tell  them  the  fire  of  hell  is  hotter  !  They  may  hug 
themselves  in  the  enjoyment  of  present  safety,  but  end- 
less tears  will  be  their  punishment  hereafter." 

Some  of  his  devoted  adherents  manifested  their  zeal  at 
this  lukewarm  moment.  Omar,  Al  Abbas,  and  Abda'l- 
rahman,  gave  large  sums  of  money  ;  several  female  dev- 
otees brought  their  ornaments  and  jewels.  Othman 
delivered  one  thousand,  some  say  ten  thousand,  dinars  to 
Mahomet,  and  was  absolved  from  his  sins,  past,  present, 
or  to  come.  Abu  Beker  gave  four  thousand  drachmas  ; 
Mahomet  hesitated  to  accept  the  offer  knowing  it  to  be 
all  that  he  possessed.  "  What  will  remain,"  said  he,  "  for 
thee  and  thy  family  ?  "  "  God  and  his  prophet,"  was  the 
reply. 

These  devout  examples  had  a  powerful  effect ;  yet  it 
was  with  much  difficulty  that  an  army  of  ten  thousand 
horse  and  twenty  thousand  foot  was  assembled.  Ma- 
homet now  appointed  Ali  governor  of  Medina  during  his 
absence,  and  guardian  of  both  their  families.      He  ac- 


PERFIDY  OF  ABB  ALLAH.  289 

cepted  the  trust  with  great  reluctance,  having  been 
accustomed  always  to  accompany  the  prophet,  and  share 
all  his  perils.  All  arrangements  being  completed,  Ma- 
homet marched  forth  from  Medina  on  this  momentous 
expedition.  A  part  of  his  army  was  composed  of  Khaz- 
radites  and  their  confederates,  led  by  Abdallah  Ibn 
Obba.  This  man,  whom  Mahomet  had  well  denominated 
the  Chief  of  the  Hypocrites,  encamped  separately  with 
his  adherents  at  night,  at  some  distance  in  the  rear  of 
the  main  army ;  and  when  the  latter  marched  forward  in 
the  morning,  lagged  behind  and  led  his  troops  back  to 
Medina.  Repairing  to  Ali,  whose  dominion  in  the  city 
was  irksome  to  him  and  his  adherents,  he  endeavored  to 
make  him  discontented  with  his  position,  alleging  that 
Mahomet  had  left  him  in  charge  of  Medina  solely  to  rid 
himself  of  an  incumbrance.  Stung  by  the  suggestion, 
Ali  hastened  after  Mahomet,  and  demanded  if  what  Ab- 
dallah and  his  followers  said  were  true. 

"  These  men,"  replied  Mahomet,  "  are  liars.  They  are 
the  party  of  Hypocrites  and  Doubters,  who  would  breed 
sedition  in  Medina.  I  left  thee  behind  to  keep  watch 
over  them,  and  to  be  a  guardian  to  both  our  families.  I 
would  have  thee  to  be  to  me  what  Aaron  was  to  Moses  ; 
excepting  that  thou  canst  not  be,  like  him,  a  prophet ;  I 
being  the  last  of  the  prophets."  With  this  explanation 
Ali  returned  contented  to  Medina. 

Many  have  inferred  from  the  foregoing,  that  Mahomet 
intended  Ali  for  his  Caliph  or  successor ;  that  being  the 
vol.  i. — 19 


290  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

signification  of  the  Arabic  word  used  to  denote  the  rela- 
tion of  Aaron  to  Moses. 

The  troops  who  had  continued  on  with  Mahomet  soon 
began  to  experience  the  difficulties  of  braving  the  desert 
in  this  sultry  season.  Many  turned  back  on  the  second 
day;  and  others  on  the  third  and  fourth.  Whenever 
word  was  brought  to  the  prophet  of  their  desertion, 
"  Let  them  go,"  would  be  the  reply  ;  "  if  they  are  good 
for  anything  God  will  bring  them  back  to  us ;  if  they  are 
not,  we  are  relieved  from  so  many  incumbrances." 

While  some  thus  lost  heart  upon  the  march,  others 
who  had  remained  at  Medina  repented  of  their  faint- 
heartedness. One,  named  Abu  Khaithama,  entering  his 
garden  during  the  sultry  heat  of  the  day,  beheld  a  repast 
of  viands  and  fresh  water  spread  for  him  by  his  two 
wives  in  the  cool  shade  of  a  tent.  Pausing  at  the  thresh- 
old, "  At  this  moment,"  exclaimed  he,  "  the  prophet  of 
God  is  exposed  to  the  winds  and  heats  of  the  desert,  and 
shall  Khaithama  sit  here  in  the  shade  beside  his  beauti- 
ful wives  ?  By  Allah  !  I  will  not  enter  the  tent ! "  He 
immediately  armed  himself  with  sword  and  lance,  and 
mounting  his  camel,  hastened  off  to  join  the  standard  of 
the  faith. 

In  the  meantime  the  army,  after  a  weary  march  of 
seven  days,  entered  the  mountainous  district  of  Hajar, 
inhabited  in  days  of  old  by  the  Thamudites,  one  of  the 
lost  tribes  of  Arabia.  It  was  the  accursed  region,  the 
tradition   concerning   which   has   already  been  related. 


THE  ACCURSED  REGION.  291 

The  advance  of  the  army,  knowing  nothing  of  this  tradi- 
tion, and  being  heated  and  fatigued,  beheld,  with  delight, 
a  brook  running  through  a  verdant  valley,  and  cool  caves 
cut  in  the  sides  of  the  neighboring  hills,  once  the  abodes 
of  the  heaven-smitten  Thamudites.  Halting  along  the 
brook,  some  prepared  to  bathe,  others  began  to  cook  and 
make  bread,  while  all  promised  themselves  cool  quarters 
for  the  night  in  the  caves. 

Mahomet,  in  marching,  had  kept,  as  was  his  wont,  in 
the  rear  of  the  army  to  assist  the  weak ;  occasionally 
taking  up  a  wayworn  laggard  behind  him.  Arriving  at 
the  place  where  the  troops  had  halted,  he  recollected  it 
of  old,  and  the  traditions  concerning  it,  which  had  been 
told  to  him  when  he  passed  here  in  the  days  of  his  boy- 
hood. Fearful  of  incurring  the  ban  which  hung  over  the 
neighborhood,  he  ordered  his  troops  to  throw  away  the 
meat  cooked  with  the  water  of  the  brook,  to  give  the 
bread  kneaded  with  it  to  the  camels,  and  to  hurry  away 
from  the  heaven-accursed  place.  Then  wrapping  his  face 
in  the  folds  of  his  mantle,  and  setting  spurs  to  his  mule, 
he  hastened  through  that  sinful  region  ;  the  army  follow- 
ing him  as  if  flying  from  an  enemy. 

The  succeeding  night  was  one  of  great  suffering ;  the 
army  had  to  encamp  without  water  ;  the  weather  was  in- 
tensely hot,  with  a  parching  wind  from  the  desert ;  and 
intolerable  thirst  prevailed  throughout  the  camp,  as 
though  the  Thamudite  ban  still  hung  over  it.  The  next 
day,  however,  an  abundant  rain  refreshed  and  invigorated 


292  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

both  man  and  beast.  The  march  was  resumed  wit.a  new 
ardor,  and  the  army  arrived,  without  further  hards  lip,  at 
Tabuc,  a  small  town  on  the  confines  of  the  Bonis  n  em- 
pire, about  half  way  between  Medina  and  Damascxrs,  and 
about  ten  days'  journey  from  either  city. 

Here  Mahomet  pitched  his  camp  in  the  neighborhood 
of  a  fountain,  and  in  the  midst  of  groves  and  pasturage. 
Arabian  traditions  affirm  that  the  fountain  was  nearly 
dry ;  insomuch  that,  when  a  small  vase  was  filled  for  the 
prophet,  not  a  drop  was  left :  having  assuaged  hb  thirst, 
however,  and  made  his  ablutions,  Mahomet  thr-^w  what 
remained  in  the  vase  back  into  the  fountain ;  wl.ereupon 
a  stream  gushed  forth  sufficient  for  the  troops  ar>-l  all  the 
cattle. 

From  this  encampment  Mahomet  sent  out  his  captains 
to  proclaim  and  enforce  the  faith,  or  to  exact  tribute. 
Some  of  the  neighboring  princes  sent  embassies,  either 
acknowledging  the  divinity  of  his  mission,  or  submitting 
to  his  temporal  sway.  One  of  these  was  Johanna  Ibn 
Kuba,  prince  of  Eyla,  a  Christian  city,  near  the  Bed  Sea. 
This  was  the  same  city  about  which  the  tradition  is  told, 
that  in  days  of  old,  when  its  inhabitants  were  Jews,  the 
old  men  were  turned  into  swine,  and  the  young  men  into 
monkeys,  for  fishing  on  the  Sabbath,  a  judgment  solemn- 
ly recorded  in  the  Koran. 

The  prince  of  Eyla  made  a  covenant  of  peace  with 
Mahomet,  agreeing  to  pay  an  annual  tribute  of  three 
thousand  dinars  or  crowns  of  gold.     The  form  of  the 


CAPTURE  OF  OKALDER.  293 

covenant  became  a  precedent  in  treating  with  other 
powers. 

Among  the  Arab  princes  who  professed  the  Christian 
faith,  and  refused  to  pay  homage  to  Mahomet,  was 
Okaider  Ibn  Malec,  of  the  tribe  of  Kenda.  He  resided  in 
a  castle  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain,  in  the  midst  of  his 
domain.  Khaled  was  sent  with  a  troop  of  horse  to  bring 
him  to  terms.  Seeing  the  castle  was  too  strong  to  be 
carried  by  assault,  he  had  recourse  to  stratagem.  One 
moonlight  night,  as  Okaider  and  his  wife  were  enjoying 
the  fresh  air  on  the  terraced  roof  of  the  castle,  they  be- 
held an  animal  grazing,  which  they  supposed  to  be  a  wild 
ass  from  the  neighboring  mountains.  Okaider,  who  was 
a  keen  huntsman,  ordered  horse  and  lance,  and  sallied 
forth  to  the  chase,  accompanied  by  his  brother  Hassan 
and  several  of  his  people.  The  wild  ass  proved  to  be  a 
decoy.  They  had  not  ridden  far  before  Khaled  and  his 
men  rushed  from  ambush  and  attacked  them.  They  were 
too  lightly  armed  to  make  much  resistance.  Hassan  was 
killed  on  the  spot,  and  Okaider  taken  prisoner ;  the  rest 
fled  back  to  the  castle ;  which,  however,  was  soon  sur- 
rendered. The  prince  was  ultimately  set  at  liberty  on 
paying  a  heavy  ransom  and  becoming  a  tributary. 

As  a  trophy  of  the  victory,  Khaled  sent  to  Mahomet 
the  vest  stripped  from  the  body  of  Hassan.  It  was  of 
silk,  richly  embroidered  with  gold.  The  Moslems  gath- 
ered round,  and  examined  it  with  admiration.  "  Do  you 
admire  this  vest  ?  "  said  the  prophet.     "  I  swear  by  him 


294  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

in  whose  hands  is  the  soul  of  Mahomet,  the  vest  which 
Saad,  the  son  of  Maadi,  wears  at  this  moment  in  para- 
dise, is  far  more  precious."  This  Saad  was  the  judge 
who  passed  sentence  of  death  on  seven  hundred  Jewish 
captives  at  Medina,  at  the  conclusion  of  a  former  cam- 
paign. 

His  troops  being  now  refreshed  by  the  sojourn  at 
Tabuc,  and  the  neighboring  country  being  brought  into 
subjection,  Mahomet  was  bent  upon  prosecuting  the 
object  of  his  campaign,  and  pushing  forward  into  the 
heart  of  Syria.  His  ardor,  however,  was  not  shared  by 
his  followers.  Intelligence  of  immense  bodies  of  hostile 
troops,  assembled  on  the  Syrian  borders,  had  damped 
the  spirits  of  the  army.  Mahomet  remarked  the  general 
discouragement,  yet  was  loth  to  abandon  the  campaign 
when  but  half  completed.  Calling  a  council  of  war,  he 
propounded  the  question  whether  or  not  to  continue  for- 
ward. To  this  Omar  replied  dryly,  "  If  thou  hast  the 
command  of  God  to  proceed  further,  do  so."  "If  I  had 
the  command  of  God  to  proceed  further,"  observed  Ma- 
homet, "I  should  not  have  asked  thy  counsel." 

Omar  felt  the  rebuke.  He  then,  in  a  respectful  tone, 
represented  the  impolicy  of  advancing  in  the  face  of  the 
overwhelming  force  said  to  be  collected  on  the  Syrian 
frontier ;  he  represented,  also,  how  much  Mahomet  had 
already  effected  in  this  campaign.  He  had  checked  the 
threatened  invasion  of  the  imperial  arms,  and  had  re- 
ceived the  homage  and  submission  of  various  tribes  and 


RETURN  TO   MEDINA.  295 

people,  from  the  head  of  the  Ked  Sea  to  the  Euphrates : 
he  advised  him,  therefore,  to  be  content  for  the  present 
year  with  what  he  had  achieved,  and  to  defer  the  com- 
pletion of  the  enterprise  to  a  future  campaign. 

His  counsel  was  adopted  :  for,  whenever  Mahomet  was 
not  under  strong  excitement,  or  fancied  inspiration,  he 
was  rather  prone  to  yield  up  his  opinion  in  military  mat- 
ters to  that  of  his  generals.  After  a  sojourn  of  about 
twenty  days,  therefore,  at  Tabuc,  he  broke  up  his  camp, 
and  conducted  his  army  back  to  Medina. 


CHAPTEE  XXXIV. 

TMUMPHAL  ENTRY  INTO  MEDINA. — PUNISHMENT  OF  THOSE  WHO  HAD  REFUSED 
TO  JOIN  THE  CAMPAIGN. — EFFECTS  OF  EXCOMMUNICATION. — DEATH  OF  AB- 
DALLAH  D3N  OBBA. — DISSENSIONS  IN   THE  PROPHET'S  HAREM. 

HE  entries  of  Mahomet  into  Medina  on  return- 
ing from  his  warlike  triumphs,  partook  of  the 
simplicity  and  absence  of  parade,  which  char- 
acterized all  his  actions.  On  approaching  the  city,  when 
his  household  came  forth  with  the  multitude  to  meet  him, 
he  would  stop  to  greet  them,  and  take  up  the  children  of 
the  house  behind  him  on  his  horse.  It  was  in  this  sim- 
ple way  he  entered  Medina,  on  returning  from  the  cam- 
paign against  Tabuc. 

The  arrival  of  an  army  laden  with  spoil,  gathered  in  the 
most  distant  expedition  ever  undertaken  by  the  soldiers 
of  Islam,  was  an  event  of  too  great  moment,  not  to  be 
hailed  with  triumphant  exultation  by  the  community. 
Those  alone  were  cast  down  in  spirit  who  had  refused  to 
march  forth  with  the  army,  or  had  deserted  it  when  on 
the  inarch.  All  these  were  at  first  placed  under  an  inter- 
dict ;  Mahomet  forbidding  his  faithful  followers  to  hold 
any  intercourse  with  them.     Mollified,  however,  by  their 

296 


EFFECTS  OF  EXCOMMUNICATION.  297 

contrition  or  excuses,  he  gradually  forgave  the  greater 
part  of  them.  Seven  of  those  who  continued  under  inter- 
dict, finding  themselves  cut  off  from  communion  with 
their  acquaintance,  and  marked  with  opprobrium  amid  an 
exulting  community,  became  desperate,  and  chained  them- 
selves to  the  walls  of  the  mosque  ;  swearing  to  remain 
there  until  pardoned.  Mahomet,  on  the  other  hand,  swore 
he  would  leave  them  there  unless  otherwise  commanded 
by  God.  Fortunately  he  received  the  command  in  aie. 
vealed  verse  of  the  Koran ;  but,  in  freeing  them  from 
their  self-imposed  fetters,  he  exacted  one  third  of  their 
possessions,  to  be  expended  in  the  service  of  the  faith. 

Among  those  still  under  interdict  were  Kaab  Ibij 
Malec,  Murara  Ibn  Eabia,  and  Hilal  Ibn  Omeya.  These 
had  once  been  among  the  most  zealous  of  professing 
Moslems ;  their  defection  was,  therefore,  ten  times  more 
heinous  in  the  eyes  of  the  prophet  than  that  of  their 
neighbors,  whose  faith  had  been  lukewarm  and  dubious. 
Toward  them,  therefore,  he  continued  implacable.  Forty 
days  they  remained  interdicted,  and  the  interdict  extend- 
ed to  communication  with  their  wives. 

The  account  given  by  Kaab  Ibn  Malec  of  his  situation, 
while  thus  excommunicated,  presents  a  vivid  picture  oi 
the  power  of  Mahomet  over  the  minds  of  his  adherents. 
Kaab  declared  that  everybody  shunned  him,  or  regarded 
him  with  an  altered  mien.  His  two  companions  in  dis- 
grace did  not  leave  their  home  ;  he,  however,  went  about 
from   place   to   place,  but   no   one   spake   to   him.     He 


298  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

sought  the  mosque,  sat  down  near  the  prophet,  and  sa- 
luted him,  but  his  salutation  was  not  returned.     On  the 
forty-first  day  came  a  command,  that  he  should  separate 
from  his  wife.     He  now  left  the  city,  and  pitched  a  tent 
on  the  hill  of  Sala,  determined  there  to  undergo  in  its 
severest  rigor  the  punishment  meted  out  to  him.     His 
heart,  however,  was  dying  away ;  the  wide  world,  he  said, 
appeared  to  grow  narrow  to  him.     On  the  fifty-first  day 
came  a  messenger  holding  out  the  hope  of  pardon.     He 
hastened  to   Medina,    and    sought    the   prophet  at   the 
mosque,  who  received  him  with  a  radiant  countenance, 
and  said  that  God  had  forgiven  him.     The  soul  of  Kaab 
was  lifted  up  from  the  depths  of  despondency,  and  in  the 
transports   of  his   gratitude,  he   gave   a  portion  of  his 
wealth  in  atonement  of  his  error. 

Not  long  after  the  return  of  the  army  to  Medina,  Ab- 
dallah  Ibn  Obba,  the  Khazradite,  "  the  chief  of  the  Hypo- 
crites," fell  ill,  so  that  his  life  was  despaired  of.  Although 
Mahomet  was  well  aware  of  the  perfidy  of  this  man, 
and  the  secret  arts  he  had  constantly  practiced  against 
him,  he  visited  him  repeatedly  during  his  illness ;  was 
with  him  at  his  dying  hour,  and  followed  his  body  to  the 
grave.  There,  at  the  urgent  entreaty  of  the  son  of  the 
deceased,  he  put  up  prayers  that  his  sins  might  be  for- 
given. 

Omar  privately  remonstrated  with  Mahomet  for  pray- 
ing for  a  hypocrite  ;  reminding  him  how  often  he  had 
been  slandered  by  Abdallah ;  but  he  was  shrewdly  an- 


DISSENSIONS  IN  THE  HAREM.  299 

swered  by  a  text  of  the  Koran :  "  Thou  mayst  pray  for 
the  '  Hypocrites '  or  not,  as  thou  wilt ;  but  though  thou 
shouldst  pray  seventy  times,  yet  will  they  not  be  for- 
given." 

The  prayers  at  Abdallah's  grave,  therefore,  were  put 
up  out  of  policy,  to  win  favor  with  the  Khazradites,  and 
the  powerful  friends  of  the  deceased ;  and  in  this  respect 
the  prayers  were  successful,  for  most  of  the  adherents  of 
the  deceased  became  devoted  to  the  prophet,  whose  sway 
was  thenceforth  undisputed  in  Medina.  Subsequently  he 
announced  another  revelation,  which  forbade  him  to  pray 
by  the  death-bed  or  stand  by  the  grave  of  any  one  who 
died  in  unbelief. 

But  though  Mahomet  exercised  such  dominion  over  his 
disciples,  and  the  community  at  large,  he  had  great  din* 
culty  in  governing  his  wives,  and  maintaining  tranquillity 
in  his  harem.  He  appears  to  have  acted  with  tolerable 
equity  in  his  connubial  concerns,  assigning  to  each  of  his 
wives  a  separate  habitation,  of  which  she  was  sole  mis- 
tress, and  passing  the  twenty-four  hours  with  them  by 
turns.  It  so  happened,  that  on  one  occasion,  when  he 
was  sojourning  with  Hafsa,  the  latter  left  her  dwelling  to 
visit  her  father.  Returning  unexpectedly,  she  surprised 
the  prophet  with  his  favorite  and  fortunate  slave 
Mariyah,  the  mother  of  his  son  Ibrahim.  The  jealousy 
of  Hafsa  was  vociferous.  Mahomet  endeavored  to  pacify 
her,  dreading  lest  her  outcries  should  rouse  his  whole 
harem  to  rebellion ;  but  she  was  only  to  be  appeased  by 


300  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSOBS. 

an  oath  on  his  part  never  more  to  cohabit  with  Mariyah. 
On  these  terms  she  forgave  the  past,  and  promised 
secrecy. 

She  broke  her  promise,  however,  and  revealed  to 
Ayesha  the  infidelity  of  the  prophet ;  and  in  a  little  while 
it  was  known  throughout  the  harem.  His  wives  now 
united  in  a  storm  of  reproaches ;  until,  his  patience  being 
exhausted,  he  repudiated  Hafsa,  and  renounced  all  inter- 
course with  the  rest.  For  a  month  he  lay  alone  on  a  mat 
in  a  separate  apartment ;  but  Allah,  at  length,  in  con- 
sideration of  his  lonely  state,  sent  down  the  first  and 
sixth  chapters  of  the  Koran,  absolving  him  from  the  oath 
respecting  Mariyah,  who  forthwith  became  the  com- 
panion of  his  solitary  chamber. 

The  refractory  wives  were  now  brought  to  a  sense  of 
their  error,  and  apprised  by  the  same  revelation  that  the 
restrictions  imposed  on  ordinary  men  did  not  apply  to 
the  prophet.  In  the  end  he  took  back  Hafsa,  who  was 
penitent ;  and  he  was  reconciled  to  Ayesha,  whom  he 
tenderly  loved,  and  all  the  rest  were  in  due  time  received 
into  favor ;  but  he  continued  to  cherish  Mariyah,  for  she 
was  fair  to  look  upon,  and  was  the  mother  of  his  only 

SOIL 


CHAPTER  XXXY. 

1BTT  BEKER   CONDUCTS    THE  YEARLY   PILGRIMAGE  TO   MECCA.— MISSION  OF   ALI 
TO  ANNOUNCE  A  REVELATION. 

HE  sacred  month  of  yearly  pilgrimage  was  now 
at  hand,  but  Mahomet  was  too  much  occupied 
with  public  and  domestic  concerns  to  absent 
himself  from  Medina ;  he  deputed  Abu  Beker,  therefore, 
to  act  in  his  place  as  emir  or  commander  of  the  pilgrims, 
who  were  to  resort  from  Medina  to  the  holy  city.  Abu 
Beker  accordingly  departed  at  the  head  of  three  hundred 
pilgrims,  with  twenty  camels  for  sacrifice. 

Not  long  afterwards  Mahomet  summoned  his  son-in- 
law  and  devoted  disciple  Ali,  and,  mounting  him  on  Al 
Adha,  or  the  slit-eared,  the  swiftest  of  his  camels,  urged 
him  to  hasten  with  all  speed  to  Mecca,  there  to  promul- 
gate before  the  multitude  of  pilgrims  assembled  from 
all  parts,  an  important  sura,  or  chapter  of  the  Koran,  just 
received  from  heaven. 

Ali  executed  his  mission  with  his  accustomed  zeal  and 
fidelity.  He  reached  the  sacred  city  in  the  height  of  the 
great  religious  festival.  On  the  day  of  sacrifice,  when  the 
ceremonies  of  pilgrimage  were  completed  by  the  slaying 

301 


302  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

of  the  victims  in  the  Yalley  of  Mina,  and  when  Abu 
Beker  had  preached  and  instructed  the  people  in  the  doc- 
trines and  rites  of  Islamism,  Ali  rose  before  an  immense 
multitude  assembled  at  the  hill  Al  Akaba,  and  announced 
himself  a  messenger  from  the  prophet,  bearing  an  impor- 
tant revelation.  He  then  read  the  sura,  or  chapter  of  the 
Koran,  of  which  he  was  the  bearer ;  in  which  the  religion 
of  the  sword  was  declared  in  all  its  rigor.  It  absolved 
Mahomet  from  all  truce  or  league  with  idolatrous  and 
other  unbelievers,  should  they  in  anywise  have  been 
false  to  their  stipulations,  or  given  aid  to  his  enemies.  It 
allowed  unbelievers  four  months  of  toleration  from  the 
time  of  this  announcement,  during  which  months  they 
might  "  go  to  and  fro  about  the  earth  securely, "  but  at 
the  expiration  of  that  time  all  indulgence  would  cease ; 
war  would  then  be  made  in  every  way,  at  every  time  and 
in  every  place,  by  open  force  or  by  stratagem,  against 
those  who  persisted  in  unbelief :  no  alternative  would  be 
left  them  but  to  embrace  the  faith,  or  pay  tribute.  The 
holy  months  and  the  holy  places  would  no  longer  afford 
them  protection.  "  When  the  months  wherein  ye  are  not 
allowed  to  attack  them  shall  be  passed,"  said  the  revela- 
tion, "  kill  the  idolatrous  wherever  ye  shall  find  them,  or 
take  them  prisoners  ;  besiege  them,  or  lay  in  wait  for 
them."  The  ties  of  blood  and  friendship  were  to  be  alike 
disregarded;  the  faithful  were  to  hold  no  communion 
with  their  nearest  relatives  and  dearest  friends,  should 
they  persist  in  idolatry.     After  the  expiration  of  the  cur- 


IMPORTANT  REVELATION,  303 

rent  year,  no  unbeliever  was  to  be  permitted  to  tread  the 
sacred  bounds  of  Mecca,  nor  to  enter  the  temple  of  Allah, 
a  prohibition  which  continues  to  the  present  day. 

This  stringent  chapter  of  the  Koran  is  thought  to  have 
been  provoked,  in  a  great  measure,  by  the  conduct  of  some 
of  the  Jewish  and  idolatrous  Arabs,  with  whom  Mahomet 
had  made  covenants,  but  who  had  repeatedly  played  him 
false,  and  even  made  treacherous  attempts  upon  his  life. 
It  evinces,  however,  the  increased  confidence  he  felt  in 
consequence  of  the  death  of  his  insidious  and  powerful 
foe,  Abdallah  Ibn  Obba,  and  the  rapid  conversion  or  sub- 
jugation of  the  Arab  tribes.  It  was,  in  fact,  a  decisive 
blow  for  the  exclusive  domination  of  his  faith. 

When  Abu  Beker  and  Ali  returned  to  Mecca,  the  former 
expressed  surprise  and  dissatisfaction  that  he  had  not 
been  made  the  promulgator  of  so  important  a  revelation, 
as  it  seemed  to  be  connected  with  his  recent  mission,  but 
he  was  pacified  by  the  assurance  that  all  new  revelations 
must  be  announced  by  the  prophet  himself,  or  by  soma 
one  of  his  immediate  family. 


CHAPTEE  XXXVL 

MAHOMET  SENDS  HIS  CAPTAINS  ON  DISTANT  ENTERPRISES.— APPOINTS  LIEUTEN- 
ANTS TO  GOVERN  IN  ARABIA  FELIX.— SENDS  ALI  TO  SUPPRESS  AN  INSURREC- 
TION IN  THAT  PROVINCE.— DEATH  OF  THE  PROPHET'S  ONLY  SON  IBRAHIM.— 
HIS  CONDUCT  AT  THE  DEATH-BED  AND  THE  GRAVE. — HIS  GROWING  INFIRMI- 
TIES.— HIS  VALEDICTORY  PILGRIMAGE  TO  MECCA,  AND  HIS  CONDUCT  AND 
PREACHING  WHILE  THERE. 

HE  promulgation  of  the  last-mentioned  chapter 
of  the  Koran,  with  the  accompanying  denun- 
ciation of  exterminating  war  against  all  who 
should  refuse  to  believe  or  submit,  produced  hosts  of 
converts  and  tributaries  ;  so  that,  towards  the  close  of 
the  month,  and  in  the  beginning  of  the  tenth  year  of  the 
Hegira,  the  gates  of  Medina  were  thronged  with  envoys 
from  distant  tribes  and  princes.  Among  those  who 
bowed  to  the  temporal  power  of  the  prophet  was  Farwa, 
lieutenant  of  Heraclius,  in  Syria,  and  governor  of  Amon, 
the  ancient  capital  of  the  Ammonites.  His  act  of  sub- 
mission, however,  was  disavowed  by  the  emperor,  and 
punished  with  imprisonment. 

Mahomet  felt  and  acted  more  and  more  as  a  sovereign, 
but  his  grandest  schemes  as  a  conqueror  were  always 
sanctified  by  his  zeal  as  an  apostle.     His  captains  were 

304 


MISSION  OF  ALI  TO   YEMEN.  305 

sent  on  more  distant  expeditions  than  formerly,  but  it  was 
always  with  a  view  to  destroy  idols,  and  bring  idolatrous 
tribes  to  subjection ;  so  that  his  temporal  power  but  kept 
pace  with  the  propagation  of  his  faith.  He  appointed 
two  lieutenants  to  govern  in  his  name  in  Arabia  Felix ; 
but  a  portion  of  that  rich  and  important  country  having 
shown  itself  refractory,  Ali  was  ordered  to  repair  thither 
at  the  head  of  three  hundred  horsemen,  and  bring  the  in- 
habitants  to  reason. 

The  youthful  disciple  expressed  a  becoming  diffidence 
to  undertake  a  mission  where  he  would  have  to  treat 
with  men  far  older  and  wiser  than  himself;  but  Ma- 
homet laid  one  hand  upon  his  lips,  and  the  other  upon 
his  breast,  and  raising  his  eyes  to  heaven,  exclaimed,  "  O, 
Allah !  loosen  his  tongue  and  guide  his  heart ! "  He  gave 
him  one  rule  for  his  conduct  as  a  judge.  "When  two 
parties  come  before  thee,  never  pronounce  in  favor  of  one 
until  thou  hast  heard  the  other."  Then,  giving  into  his 
hands  the  standard  of  the  faith,  and  placing  the  turban 
on  his  head,  he  bade  him  farewell. 

When  the  military  missionary  arrived  in  the  heretical 
region  of  Yemen,  his  men,  indulging  their  ancient  Arab 
propensities,  began  to  sack,  to  plunder,  and  destroy.  Ali 
checked  their  excesses,  and  arresting  the  fugitive  in- 
habitants, began  to  expound  to  them  the  doctrines  of  Is- 
lam. His  tongue,  though  so  recently  consecrated  by  the 
prophet,  failed  to  carry  conviction,  for  he  was  answered 
by  darts  and  arrows ;  whereupon  he  returned  to  the  old 
vol.  i.— 20 


306  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

argument  of  the  sword,  which  he  urged  with  such  effi- 
cacy, that,  after  twenty  unbelievers  had  been  slain,  the 
rest  avowed  themselves  thoroughly  convinced.  This 
zealous  achievement  was  followed  by  others  of  a  sim- 
ilar kind,  after  each  of  which  he  despatched  messen- 
gers to  the  prophet  announcing  a  new  triumph  of  the 
faith. 

While  Mahomet  was  exulting  in  the  tidings  of  success 
from  every  quarter,  he  was  stricken  to  the  heart  by  one 
of  the  severest  domestic  bereavements.  Ibrahim,  his  son 
by  his  favorite  concubine  Mariyah,  a  child  but  fifteen 
months  old,  his  only  male  issue,  on  whom  reposed  his 
hope  of  transmitting  his  name  to  posterity,  was  seized 
with  a  mortal  malady,  and  expired  before  his  eyes.  Ma- 
homet could  not  control  a  father's  feelings  as  he  bent  in 
agony  over  this  blighted  blossom  of  his  hopes.  Yet  even 
in  this  trying  hour  he  showed  that  submission  to  the  will 
of  God  which  formed  the  foundation  of  his  faith.  "  My 
heart  is  sad,"  murmured  he,  "  and  mine  eyes  overflow 
with  tears  at  parting  with  thee,  O  my  son!  And  still 
greater  would  be  my  grief,  did  I  not  know  that  I  must 
soon  follow  thee  ;  for  we  are  of  God,  from  him  we  came, 
and  to  him  we  must  return." 

Abd'lrahman  seeing  him  in  tears,  demanded,  "Hast 
thou  not  forbidden  us  to  weep  for  the  dead?"  "No," 
replied  the  prophet.  "I  have  forbidden  ye  to  utter 
shrieks  and  outcries,  to  beat  your  faces,  and  rend  your 
garments ;  these    are   suggestions  of  the  evil  one  :  but 


MAHOMET  AT  HIS  SON'S  GRAVE.  307 

tears  shed  for  a  calamity  are  as  balm  to  the  heart,  and  are 
sent  in  mercy." 

He  followed  his  child  to  the  grave,  where,  amidst  the 
agonies  of  separation,  he  gave  another  proof  that  the  ele- 
ments of  his  religion  were  ever  present  to  his  mind.  "My 
son!  my  son!  "  exclaimed  he,  as  the  body  was  committed 
to  the  tomb,  "say  God  is  my  Lord!  the  prophet  of  God 
was  my  father,  and  Islamism  is  my  faith  !  "  This  was  to 
prepare  his  child  for  the  questioning  by  examining  angels 
as  to  religious  belief,  which,  according  to  Moslem  creed, 
the  deceased  would  undergo  while  in  the  grave.* 

An  eclipse  of  the  sun  which  happened  about  that  time, 
was  interpreted  by  some  of  his  zealous  followers  as  a 
celestial  sign  of  mourning  for  the  death  of  Ibrahim  ;  but 
the  afflicted  father  rejected  such  obsequious  flattery. 
"  The  sun  and  moon,"  said  he,  "  are  among  the  wonders 

*  One  of  the  funeral  rites  of  the  Moslems  is  for  the  Mulakken  or  priest 
to  address  the  deceased,  when  in  the  grave,  in  the  following  words  :  "  0 
servant  of  God !  0  son  of  a  handmaid  of  God !  know  that,  at  this  time, 
there  will  come  down  to  thee  two  angels  commissioned  respecting  thee 
and  the  like  of  thee ;  when  they  say  to  thee,  '  Who  is  thy  Lord  ? '  answer 
shem,  'God  is  my  Lord,'  in  truth  ;  and  when  they  ask  thee  concerning 
thy  prophet,  or  the  man  who  hath  been  sent  unto  you,  say  to  them,  '  Ma- 
homet is  the  apostle  of  God,'  with  veracity;  and  when  they  ask  thee  con- 
cerning thy  religion,  say  to  them,  '  Islamism  is  my  religion.'  And  when 
they  ask  thee  concerning  thy  book  of  direction,  say  to  them,  '  The  Koran 
is  my  book  of  direction,  and  the  Moslems  are  my  brothers  ; '  and  when 
they  ask  thee  concerning  thy  Kebla,  say  to  them,  'The  Caaba  is  my 
Kebla,  and  I  have  lived  and  died  in  the  assertion  that  there  is  no  deity 
but  God,  and  Mahomet  is  God's  apostle  ; '  and  they  will  say,  '  Sleep,  0 
servant  of  God,  in  the  protection  of  God ! '  "—See  Lane's  Modern  Egyp- 
tians, vol.  ii.  p.  338. 


308  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

of  God,  through  which  at  times  he  signifies  his  will  to  hia 
servants  ;  but  their  eclipse  has  nothing  to  do  either  with 
the  birth  or  death  of  any  mortal." 

The  death  of  Ibrahim  was  a  blow  which  bowed  him 
toward  the  grave.  His  constitution  was  already  impaired 
by  the  extraordinary  excitements  and  paroxysms  of  his 
mind,  and  the  physical  trials  to  which  he  had  been  ex- 
posed ;  the  poison,  too,  administered  to  him  at  Khaibar, 
had  tainted  the  springs  of  life,  subjected  him  to  excruciat- 
ing pains,  and  brought  on  a  premature  old  age.  His  re- 
ligious zeal  took  the  alarm  from  the  increase  of  bodily 
infirmities,  and  he  resolved  to  expend  his  remaining 
strength  in  a  final  pilgrimage  to  Mecca ;  intended  to  serve 
as  a  model  for  all  future  observances  of  the  kind. 

The  announcement  of  his  pious  intention  brought  de- 
votees from  all  parts  of  Arabia,  to  follow  the  pilgrim-' 
prophet.  The  streets  of  Medina  were  crowded  with  the 
various  tribes  from  the  towns  and  cities,  from  the  fast- 
nesses of  the  mountains,  and  the  remote  parts  of  the 
desert,  and  the  surrounding  valleys  were  studded  with 
their  tents.  It  was  a  striking  picture  of  the  triumph  of 
a  faith — these  recently  disunited,  barbarous,  and  warring 
tribes,  brought  together  as  brethren,  and  inspired  by  one 
sentiment  of  religious  zeal. 

Mahomet  was  accompanied  on  this  occasion  by  his  nine 
wives,  who  were  transported  on  litters.  He  departed  at 
the  head  of  an  immense  train,  some  sa}^  of  fifty-five,  others 
ninet}r,  and  others  a  hundred  and  fourteen  thousand  pil- 


THE  VALEDICTORY  PILGRIMAGE.  309 

grims.  There  was  a  large  number  of  camels  also,  decora- 
ted with  garlands  of  flowers  and  fluttering  streamers,  in- 
tended to  be  offered  up  in  sacrifice. 

The  first  night's  halt  was  a  few  miles  from  Medina,  at 
the  village  of  Dhu'l  Holai'fa,  where,  on  former  occasion, 
he  and  his  followers  had  laid  aside  their  weapons,  and 
assumed  the  pilgrim  garb.  Early  on  the  following  morn- 
ing, after  praying  in  the  mosque,  he  mounted  his  camel 
Al  Aswa,  and  entering  the  plain  of  Baida,  uttered  the 
prayer  or  invocation  called  in  Arabic  Talbijah,  in  which 
he  was  joined  by  all  his  followers.  The  following  is  the 
import  of  this  solemn  invocation :  "  Here  am  I  in  thy 
service,  O  God  !  Here  am  I  in  thy  service  !  Thou  hast 
no  companion.  To  thee  alone  belongeth  worship.  From 
thee  cometh  all  good.  Thine  alone  is  the  kingdom. 
There  is  none  to  share  it  with  thee." 

This  prayer,  according  to  Moslem  tradition,  was  ut- 
tered by  the  patriarch  Abraham,  when,  from  the  top  of 
the  hill  of  Kubeis,  near  Mecca,  he  preached  the  true  faith 
to  the  whole  human  race,  and  so  wonderful  was  the 
power  of  his  voice,  that  it  was  heard  by  every  living 
being  throughout  the  world  ;  insomuch,  that  the  very 
child  in  the  womb  responded,  "  Here  am  I  in  thy  service, 
O  God ! " 

In  this  way  the  pilgrim  host  pursued  its  course,  wind- 
ing in  a  lengthened  train  of  miles,  over  mountain  and 
valley,  and  making  the  deserts  vocal  at  times  with  united 
prayers  and  ejaculations.      There  were    no  longer  any 


310  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

hostile  armies  to  impede  or  molest  it,  for  by  this  time 
the  Islam  faith  reigned  serenely  over  all  Arabia.  Ma- 
homet approached  the  sacred  city  over  the  same  heights 
which  he  had  traversed  in  capturing  it,  and  he  entered 
through  the  gate  Beni  Scheiba,  which  still  bears  the 
name  of  The  Holy. 

A  few  days  after  his  arrival,  he  was  joined  by  Ali,  who 
had  hastened  back  from  Yemen  ;  and  who  brought  with 
him  a  number  of  camels  to  be  slain  in  sacrifice. 

As  this  was  to  be  a  model  pilgrimage,  Mahomet  rigor- 
ously observed  all  the  rites  which  he  had  continued  in 
compliance  with  patriarchal  usage,  or  introduced  in  com- 
pliance with  revelation.  Being  too  weak  and  infirm  to 
go  on  foot,  he  mounted  his  camel,  and  thus  performed 
the  circuits  round  the  Caaba,  and  the  journeyings  to  and 
fro  between  the  hills  of  Safa  and  Merwa. 

When  the  camels  were  to  be  offered  up  in  sacrifice,  he 
slew  sixty-three  with  his  own  hand,  one  for  each  year  of 
his  age,  and  Ali,  at  the  same  time,  slew  thirty-seven  on 
his  own  account. 

Mahomet  then  shaved  his  head,  beginning  on  the  right 
side,  and  ending  on  the  left.  The  locks  thus  shorn  away 
were  equally  divided  among  his  disciples,  and  treasured 
up  as  sacred  relics.  Khaled  ever  afterwards  wore  one  in 
his  turban,  and  affirmed  that  it  gave  him  supernatural 
strength  in  battle. 

Conscious  that  life  was  waning  away  within  him,  Ma- 
homet, during  this  last  sojourn  in  the  sacred  city  of  his 


THE  VALEDICTORY  PILGRIMAGE.  311 

faith,  sought  to  engrave  his  doctrines  deeply  in  the 
minds  and  hearts  of  his  followers.  For  this  purpose  he 
preached  frequently  in  the  Caaba  from  the  pulpit,  or  in 
the  open  air  from  the  back  of  his  camel.  "  Listen  to  my 
words,"  would  he  say,  "for  I  know  not  whether,  after 
this  year,  we  shall  ever  meet  here  again.  O,  my  hearers, 
I  am  but  a  man  like  yourselves  :  the  angel  of  death  may 
at  any  time  appear,  and  I  must  obey  his  summons." 

He  would  then  proceed  to  inculcate  not  merely  relig- 
ious doctrines  and  ceremonies,  but  rules  for  conduct  in 
all  the  concerns  of  life,  public  and  domestic  ;  and  the 
precepts  laid  down  and  enforced  on  this  occasion  have 
had  a  vast  and  durable  influence  on  the  morals,  manners, 
and  habitudes  of  the  whole  Moslem  world. 

It  was  doubtless  in  view  of  his  approaching  end,  and 
in  solicitude  for  the  welfare  of  his  relatives  and  friends 
after  his  death,  and  especially  of  his  favorite  Ali,  who,  he 
perceived,  had  given  dissatisfaction  in  the  conduct  of  his 
recent  campaign  in  Yemen,  that  he  took  occasion,  during 
a  moment  of  strong  excitement  and  enthusiasm  among 
his  hearers,  to  address  to  them  a  solemn  adjuration. 

"  Ye  believe,"  said  he,  "that  there  is  but  one  God;  that 
Mahomet  is  his  prophet  and  apostle ;  that  paradise  and 
hell  are  truths  ;  that  death  and  the  resurrection  are 
certain ;  and  that  there  is  an  appointed  time  when 
all  who  rise  from  the  grave  must  be  brought  to  judg- 
ment." 

They  all  answered,  "  We  believe  these  things."     He 


312  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

then  adjured  them  solemnly  by  these  dogmas  of  their 
faith  ever  to  hold  his  family,  and  especially  Ali,  in 
love  and  reverence.  "Whoever  loves  me,"  said  he, 
"let  him  receive  Ali  as  his  friend.  May  God  uphold 
those  who  befriend  him,  and  may  he  turn  from  his  ene- 
mies." 

It  was  at  the  conclusion  of  one  of  his  discourses  in 
the  open  air,  from  the  back  of  his  camel,  that  the  fa- 
mous verse  of  the  Koran  is  said  to  have  come  down  from 
heaven  in  the  very  voice  of  the  Deity.  "  Evil  to  those, 
this  day,  who  have  denied  your  religion.  Fear  them  not, 
fear  me.  This  day  I  have  perfected  your  religion,  and 
accomplished  in  you  my  grace.  It  is  my  good  pleasure 
that  Islamism  be  your  faith." 

On  hearing  these  words,  say  the  Arabian  historians, 
the  camel,  El  Karwa,  on  which  the  prophet  was  seated, 
fell  on  its  knees  in  adoration.  These  words,  add  they, 
were  the  seal  and  conclusion  of  the  law,  for  after  them 
there  were  no  further  revelations. 

Having  thus  fulfilled  all  the  rites  and  ceremonies  of 
pilgrimage,  and  made  a  full  exposition  of  his  faith,  Ma- 
homet bade  a  last  farewell  to  his  native  city,  and,  putting 
himself  at  the  head  of  his  pilgrim  army,  set  out  on  his 
return  to  Medina. 

As  he  came  in  sight  of  it,  he  lifted  up  his  voice  and 
exclaimed,  "  God  is  great ;  God  is  great !  There  is  but 
one  God ;  he  has  no  companion.  His  is  the  kingdom. 
To  him  alone  belongeth  praise.     He  is  almighty.     He 


THE   VALEDICTORY  PILGRIMAGE.  313 

liath  fulfilled  his  promise.  He  has  stood  by  his  servant, 
and  alone  dispersed  his  enemies.  Let  us  return  to  our 
homes,  and  worship  and  praise  him  !  " 

Thus  ended  what  has  been  termed  the  valedictory  pil« 
grimage,  being  the  last  made  by  the  prophet. 


CHAPTEE  XXXVIL 


GF  THE   TWO  FALSE  PROPHETS,   AL  ASWAD  AND  MOSEILMA. 


HE  health  of  Mahomet  continued  to  decline 
after  his  return  to  Medina ;  nevertheless  his 
ardor  to  extend  his  religious  empire  was  una- 
oated,  and  he  prepared,  on  a  great  scale,  for  the  invasion 
of  Syria  and  Palestine.  While  he  was  meditating  foreign 
conquest,  however,  two  rival  prophets  arose  to  dispute 
his  sway  in  Arabia.  One  was  named  Al  Aswad,  the 
other  Moseilma  ;  they  received  from  the  faithful  the 
well-merited  appellation  of  "The  Two  Liars." 

Al  Aswad,  a  quick-witted  man,  and  gifted  with  per- 
suasive eloquence,  was  originally  an  idolater,  then  a  con- 
vert to  Islamism,  from  which  he  apostatized  to  set  up 
for  a  prophet,  and  establish  a  religion  of  his  own.  His 
fickleness  in  matters  of  faith  gained  him  the  appellation 
of  Ailhala,  or  "  The  Weathercock."  In  emulation  of  Ma- 
homet he  pretended  to  receive  revelations  from  heaven 
through  the  medium  of  two  angels.  Being  versed  in  jug- 
gling arts  and  natural  magic,  he  astonished  and  con- 
founded the  multitude  with  spectral  illusions,  which  he 
passed  off  as  miracles,  insomuch  that  certain  Moslem 

314 


FALSE  PROPHETS.  315 

writers  believe  he  was  really  assisted  by  two  evil  genii 
or  demons.  His  schemes,  for  a  time,  were  crowned  with 
great  success,  which  shows  how  unsettled  the  Arabs 
were  in  those  days  in  matters  of  religion,  and  how  ready 
to  adopt  any  new  faith. 

Budhan,  the  Persian  whom  Mahomet  had  continued  as 
viceroy  of  Arabia  Felix,  died  in  this  year ;  whereupon  Al 
Aswad,  now  at  the  head  of  a  powerful  sect,  slew  his  son 
and  successor,  espoused  his  widow  after  putting  her 
father  to  death,  and  seized  upon  the  reins  of  government. 
The  people  of  Najran  invited  him  to  their  city  ;  the  gates 
of  Sanaa,  the  capital  of  Yemen,  were  likewise  thrown 
open  to  him,  so  that,  in  a  little  while,  all  Arabia  Felix 
submitted  to  his  sway. 

The  news  of  this  usurpation  found  Mahomet  suffering 
in  the  first  stages  of  a  dangerous  malady,  and  engrossed 
by  preparations  for  the  Syrian  invasion.  Impatient  of 
any  interruption  to  his  plans,  and  reflecting  that  the 
whole  danger  and  difficulty  in  question  depended  upon 
the  life  of  an  individual,  he  sent  orders  to  certain  of  his 
adherents,  who  were  about  Al  Aswad,  to  make  way  with 
him  openly  or  by  stratagem,  either  way  being  justifiable 
against  enemies  of  the  faith,  according  to  the  recent  reve- 
lation promulgated  by  Ali.  Two  persons  undertook  the 
task,  less,  however,  through  motives  of  religion  than  re- 
venge. One,  named  Rais,  had  received  a  mortal  offense 
from  the  usurper ;  the  other,  named  Firuz  the  Dailemite, 
was   cousin  to   Al  Aswad's   newly  espoused   wife,  and 


316  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

nephew  of  her  murdered  father.  They  repaired  to  the 
woman,  whose  marriage  with  the  usurper  had  pzobably 
been  compulsory,  and  urged  upon  her  the  duty,  according 
to  the  Arab  law  of  blood,  of  avenging  the  deaths  of  her 
father  and  her  former  husband.  With  much  difficulty 
they  prevailed  upon  her  to  facilitate  their  entrance  at 
the  dead  of  night  in  the  chamber  of  Al  Aswad,  who  was 
asleep.  Firuz  stabbed  him  in  the  throat  with  a  poniard. 
The  blow  was  not  effectual.  Al  Aswad  started  up,  and 
his  cries  alarmed  the  guard.  His  wife,  however,  went 
forth  and  quieted  them.  "  The  prophet,"  said  she,  "  is 
under  the  influence  of  divine  inspiration."  By  this  time 
the  cries  had  ceased,  for  the  assassins  had  stricken  off 
the  head  of  their  victim.  "When  the  day  dawned  the 
standard  of  Mahomet  floated  once  more  on  the  walls  of 
the  city,  and  a  herald  proclaimed,  by  sound  of  trumpet, 
the  death  of  Al  Aswad,  otherwise  called  the  Liar  and 
Impostor.  His  career  of  power  began,  and  was  termi- 
nated, within  the  space  of  four  months.  The  people, 
easy  of  faith,  resumed  Islamism  with  as  much  facility  as 
they  had  abandoned  it. 

Moseilma,  the  other  impostor,  was  an  Arab  of  the  tribe 
of  Honeifa,  and  ruled  over  the  city  and  province  of  Ya- 
mama,  situated  between  the  Red  Sea  and  the  Gulf  oi 
Persia.  In  the  ninth  year  of  the  Hegira  he  had  come  to 
Mecca  at  the  head  of  an  embassy  from  his  tribe,  and  had 
made  profession  of  faith  between  the  hands  of  Mahomet ; 
but,  on  returning  to  his  own  country,  had  proclaimed 


FALSE  PROPHETS.  317 

that  God  had  gifted  him  likewise  with  prophecy,  and  ap- 
pointed him  to  aid  Mahomet  in  converting  the  human 
race.  To  this  effect  he  likewise  wrote  a  Koran,  which  he 
gave  forth  as  a  volume  of  inspired  truth.  His  creed  was 
noted  for  giving  the  soul  a  humiliating  residence  in  the 
region  of  the  abdomen. 

Being  a  man  of  influence  and  address,  he  soon  made 
hosts  of  converts  among  his  credulous  countrymen. 
Eendered  confident  by  success,  he  addressed  an  epistle 
to  Mahomet,  beginning  as  follows  : 

"From  Moseilma  the  prophet  of  Allah,  to  Mahomet 
the  prophet  of  Allah !  Come,  now,  and  let  us  make  a 
partition  of  the  world,  and  let  half  be  thine  and  half  be 
mine." 

This  letter  came  also  to  the  hands  of  Mahomet,  while 
bowed  down  by  infirmities  and  engrossed  by  military 
preparations.  He  contented  himself  for  the  present  with 
the  following  reply : 

"  From  Mahomet  the  prophet  of  God,  to  Moseilma  the 
Liar !  The  earth  is  the  Lord's,  and  he  giveth  it  as  an 
inheritance  to  such  of  his  servants  as  find  favor  in  his 
sight.     Happy  shall  those  be  who  live  in  his  fear." 

In  the  urgency  of  other  affairs,  the  usurpation  of 
Moseilma  remained  unchecked.  His  punishment  was 
reserved  for  a  future  day. 


CHAPTEE  XXXVin. 

&*  ARMY  PREPARED  TO  MARCH  AGAINST  SYRIA.— COMMAND  GIVEN  TO  OSAMA. 
— THE  PROPHET'S  FAREWELL  ADDRESS  TO  THE  TROOPS.— HIS  LAST  ILL- 
NESS.—HIS  SERMONS  IN  THE  MOSQUE.— HIS  DEATH  AND  THE  ATTENDING 
CIRCUMSTANCES. 

I|B||ppT  was  early  in  the  eleventh  year  of  the  Hegira 
^jpPf  that,  after  unusual  preparations,  a  powerful 
[jjliSLW  army  was  ready  to  march  for  the  invasion  of 
Syria.  It  would  almost  seem  a  proof  of  the  failing  pow- 
ers of  Mahomet's  mind,  that  he  gave  the  command  of 
such  an  army,  on  such  an  expedition,  to  Osama,  a  youth 
but  twenty  years  of  age,  instead  of  some  one  of  his  vet- 
eran and  well-tried  generals.  It  seems  to  have  been  a 
matter  of  favor,  dictated  by  tender  and  grateful  recollec- 
tions. Osama  was  the  son  of  Zeid,  Mahomet's  devoted 
freedman,  who  had  given  the  prophet  such  a  signal  and 
acceptable  proof  of  devotion  in  relinquishing  to  him  his 
beautiful  wife  Zeinab.  Zeid  had  continued  to  the  last 
the  same  zealous  and  self-sacrificing  disciple,  and  had 
fallen  bravely  fighting  for  the  faith  in  the  battle  of 
Muta. 

Mahomet  was  aware  of  the  hazard  of  the  choice  he  had 
made,  and  feared  the  troops  might  be  insubordinate  under 

318 


LAST  ILLNE8S  OF  THE  PROPHET  319 

so  young  a  commander.  In  a  general  review,  therefore, 
lie  exhorted  them  to  obedience,  reminding  them  that  Osa- 
ma's  father,  Zeid,  had  commanded  an  expedition  of  this 
very  kind,  against  the  very  same  people,  and  had  fallen 
by  their  hands  ;  it  was  but  a  just  tribute  to  his  memory, 
therefore,  to  give  his  son  an  opportunity  of  avenging  his 
death.  Then  placing  his  banner  in  the  hands  of  the 
youthful  general,  he  called  upon  him  to  fight  valiantly 
the  fight  of  the  faith  against  all  who  should  deny  the 
unity  of  God.  The  army  marched  forth  that  very  day, 
and  encamped  at  Djorf,  a  few  miles  from  Medina ;  but 
circumstances  occurred  to  prevent  its  further  progress. 

That  very  night  Mahomet  had  a  severe  access  of  the 
malady  which  for  some  time  past  had  affected  him,  and 
which  was  ascribed  by  some  to  the  lurking  effects  of  the 
poison  given  to  him  at  Khaibar.  It  commenced  with  a 
violent  pain  in  the  head,  accompanied  by  vertigo,  and  the 
delirium  which  seems  to  have  mingled  with  all  his  par- 
oxysms of  illness.  Starting  up  in  the  mid-watches  of  the 
night  from  a  troubled  dream,  he  called  upon  an  attendant 
slave  to  accompany  him  ;  saying  he  was  summoned  by 
the  dead  who  lay  interred  in  the  public  burying-place  of 
Medina  to  come  and  pray  for  them.  Followed  by  the 
slave,  he  passed  through  the  dark  and  silent  city,  where 
all  were  sunk  in  sleep,  to  the  great  burying-ground,  out- 
side of  the  walls. 

Arrived  in  the  midst  of  the  tombs,  he  lifted  up  his 
voice  and  made  a   solemn  apostrophe  to  their  tenants. 


320  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

"  Kejoice,  ye  dwellers  in  the  grave ! "  exclaimed  he. 
"  More  peaceful  is  the  morning  to  which  ye  shall  awaken, 
than  that  which  attends  the  living.  Happier  is  your 
condition  than  theirs.  God  has  delivered  you  from  the 
storms  with  which  they  are  threatened,  and  which  shall 
follow  one  another  like  the  watches  of  a  stormy  night, 
each  darker  than  that  which  went  before." 

After  praying  for  the  dead,  he  turned  and  addressed 
his  slave.  "  The  choice  is  given  me,"  said  he,  "  either 
to  remain  in  this  world  to  the  end  of  time,  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  all  its  delights,  or  to  return  sooner  to  the  pres- 
ence of  God ;  and  I  have  chosen  the  latter." 

From  this  time  his  illness  rapidly  increased,  though  he 
endeavored  to  go  about  as  usual,  and  shifted  his  resi- 
dence from  day  to  day,  with  his  different  wives,  as  he 
had  been  accustomed  to  do.  He  was  in  the  dwelling  of 
Maimona,  when  the  violence  of  his  malady  became  so 
great,  that  he  saw  it  must  soon  prove  fatal.  His  heart 
now  yearned  to  be  with  his  favorite  wife  Ayesha,  and 
pass  with  her  the  fleeting  residue  of  life.  With  his  head 
bound  up,  and  his  tottering  frame  supported  by  Ali,  and 
Fadhl  the  son  of  Al  Abbas,  he  repaired  to  her  abode. 
She,  likewise,  was  suffering  with  a  violent  pain  in  the 
head,  and  entreated  of  him  a  remedy. 

"  Wherefore  a  remedy  ?  "  said  he.  "  Better  that  thou 
shouldst  die  before  me.  I  could  then  close  thine  eyes ; 
wrap  thee  in  thy  funeral  garb ;  lay  thee  in  the  tomb,  and 
pray  for  thee." 


THE   VISIT  OF  FATIMA.  321 

"Yes,"  replied  she,  "  and  then  return  to  my  house  and 
dwell  with  one  of  thy  other  wives,  who  would  profit  by 
my  death." 

Mahomet  smiled  at  this  expression  of  jealous  fondness, 
and  resigned  himself  into  her  care.  His  only  remaining 
child,  Fatima,  the  wife  of  Ali,  came  presently  to  see  him 
Ayesha  used  to  say  that  she  never  saw  any  one  resemble 
the  prophet  more  in  sweetness  of  temper,  than  this  his 
daughter.  He  treated  her  always  with  respectful  ten- 
derness. When  she  came  to  him,  he  used  to  rise  up, 
go  towards  her,  take  her  by  the  hand,  and  kiss  it,  and 
would  seat  her  in  his  own  place.  Their  meeting  on 
this  occasion  is  thus  related  by  Ayesha,  in  the  traditions 
preserved  by  Abulfeda. 

" '  Welcome,  my  child,'  said  the  prophet,  and  made  her 
sit  beside  him  !  He  then  whispered  something  in  her 
ear,  at  which  she  wept.  Perceiving  her  affliction,  he 
whispered  something  more,  and  her  countenance  bright- 
ened with  joy. 

"'What  is  the  meaning  of  this?'  said  I  to  Fatima. 
'  The  prophet  honors  thee  with  a  mark  of  confidence  nev- 
er bestowed  on  any  of  his  wives.'  '  I  cannot  disclose  the 
secret  of  the  prophet  of  God,'  replied  Fatima.  Never- 
theless, after  his  death,  she  declared  that  at  first  he  an- 
nounced to  her  his  impending  death ;  but  seeing  her 
weep,  consoled  her  with  the  assurance  that  she  would 
shortly  follow  him,  and  become  a  princess  in  heaven, 
among  the  faithful  of  her  sex." 
vol.  i. — 21 


322  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

In  the  second  day  of  his  illness  Mahomet  was  tor- 
mented by  a  burning  fever,  and  caused  vessels  of  water 
to  be  emptied  on  his  head  and  over  his  body ;  exclaiming 
amidst  his  paroxysms,  "  Now  I  feel  the  poison  of  Khaibar 
rending  my  entrails." 

When  somewhat  relieved,  he  was  aided  in  repairing  to 
the  mosque,  which  was  adjacent  to  his  residence.  Here, 
seated  in  his  chair,  or  pulpit,  he  prayed  devoutly ;  after 
which,  addressing  the  congregation,  which  was  numerous, 
"If  any  of  you,"  said  he,  "have  aught  upon  his  conscience, 
let  him  speak  out,  that  I  may  ask  God's  pardon  for  him." 

Upon  this  a  man,  who  had  passed  for  a  devout  Mos- 
lem, stood  forth  and  confessed  himself  a  hypocrite,  a  liar, 
and  a  weak  disciple.  "Out  upon  thee!"  cried  Omar, 
"  why  dost  thou  make  known  what  God  had  suffered  to 
remain  concealed  ? "  But  Mahomet  turned  rebukingly 
to  Omar.  "  O  son  of  Khattab,"  said  he,  "  better  is  it  to 
blush  in  this  world  than  suffer  in  the  next."  Then  lift- 
ing his  eyes  to  heaven,  and  praying  for  the  self-accused, 
"  O  God,"  exclaimed  he,  "  give  him  rectitude  and  faith, 
and  take  from  him  all  weakness  in  fulfilling  such  of  thy 
commands  as  his  conscience  dictates." 

Again  addressing  the  congregation,  "  Is  there  any  one 
among  you,"  said  he,  "whom  I  have  stricken;  here  is  my 
back,  let  him  strike  me  in  return.  Is  there  any  one  whose 
character  I  have  aspersed;  let  him  now  cast  reproach 
upon  me.  Is  there  any  one  from  whom  I  have  taken  aught 
unjustly;  let  him  now  come  forward  and  be  indemnified." 


SERVICES  IN  THE  MOSQUE.  323 

Upon  this,  a  man  among  the  throng  reminded  Ma- 
homet of  a  debt  of  three  dinars  of  silver,  and  was  in- 
stantly repaid  with  interest.  "  Much  easier  is  it,"  said 
the  prophet,  "to  bear  punishment  in  this  world  than 
throughout  eternity. ' ' 

He  now  prayed  fervently  for  the  faithful,  who  had 
fallen  by  his  side  in  the  battle  of  Ohod,  and  for  those 
who  had  suffered  for  the  faith  in  other  battles  ;  interced- 
ing with  them  in  virtue  of  the  pact  which  exists  between 
the  living  and  the  dead. 

After  this  he  addressed  the  Mohajerins  or  Exiles,  who 
had  accompanied  him  from  Mecca,  exhorting  them  to 
hold  in  honor  the  Ansarians,  or  allies  of  Medina.  "  The 
number  of  believers,"  said  he,  "  will  increase,  but  that  of 
the  allies  never  can.  They  were  my  family  with  whom 
I  found  a  home.  Do  good  to  those  who  do  good  to 
them,  and  break  friendship  with  those  who  are  hostile 
to  them." 

He  then  gave  three  parting  commands  : 

First. — Expel  all  idolaters  from  Arabia. 

Second. — Allow  all  proselytes  equal  privileges  with 
yourselves. 

Third. — Devote  yourselves  incessantly  to  prayer. 

His  sermon  and  exhortation  being  finished,  he  was 
affectionately  supported  back  to  the  mansion  of  Ayesha, 
but  was  so  exhausted  on  arriving  there  that  he  fainted. 

His  malady  increased  from  day  to  day,  apparently  with 
intervals   of  delirium,  for   he  spoke  of  receiving  visits 


324  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

from  tlie  angel  Gabriel,  who  came  from  God  to  inquire 
after  the  state  of  his  health ;  and  told  him  that  it  rested 
with  himself  to  fix  his  dying  moment ;  the  angel  of  death 
being  forbidden  by  Allah  to  enter  his  presence  without 
his  permission. 

In  one  of  his  paroxysms  he  called  for  writing  imple- 
ments, that  he  might  leave  some  rules  of  conduct  for 
his  followers.  His  attendants  were  troubled,  fearing  he 
might  do  something  to  impair  the  authority  of  the  Koran. 
Hearing  them  debate  among  themselves,  whether  to 
comply  with  his  request,  he  ordered  them  to  leave  the 
room,  and  when  they  returned  said  nothing  more  on  the 
subject. 

On  Friday,  the  day  of  religious  assemblage,  he  pre- 
pared, notwithstanding  his  illness,  to  officiate  in  the 
mosque,  and  had  water  again  poured  over  him  to  refresh 
and  strengthen  him,  but  on  making  an  effort  to  go  forth, 
fainted.  On  recovering,  he  requested  Abu  Beker  to  per- 
form the  public  prayers ;  observing,  "  Allah  has  given 
his  servant  the  right  to  appoint  whom  he  pleases  in  his 
place."  It  was  afterwards  maintained  by  some  that  he 
thus  intended  to  designate  this  long  tried  friend  and  ad- 
herent as  his  successor  in  office  ;  but  Abu  Beker  shrank 
from  construing  the  words  too  closely. 

"Word  was  soon  brought  to  Mahomet,  that  the  appear- 
ance of  Abu  Beker  in  the  pulpit  had  caused  great  agita- 
tion, a  rumor  being  circulated  that  the  prophet  was 
dead.     Exerting  his  remaining  strength,  therefore,  and 


LAST  APPEARANCE  IN  PUBLIC.  325 

leaning  on  the  shoulders  of  Ali  and  Al  Abbas,  he  made 
his  way  into  the  mosque,  where  his  appearance  spread 
joy  throughout  the  congregation.  Abu  Beker  ceased  to 
pray,  but  Mahomet  bade  him  proceed,  and  taking  his 
seat  behind  him  in  the  pulpit,  repeated  the  prayers  after 
him.  Then  addressing  the  congregation,  "  I  have  heard," 
said  he,  "  that  a  rumor  of  the  death  of  your  prophet  filled 
you  with  alarm ;  but  has  any  prophet  before  me  lived 
for  ever,  that  ye  think  I  would  never  leave  you  ?  Every- 
thing happens  according  to  the  will  of  God,  and  has  its 
appointed  time,  which  is  not  to  be  hastened  nor  avoided. 
I  return  to  him  who  sent  me  ;  and  my  last  command  to 
you  is,  that  ye  remain  united  ;  that  ye  love,  honor,  and 
uphold  each  other;  that  ye  exhort  each  other  to  faith 
and  constancy  in  belief,  and  to  the  performance  of  pious 
deeds  ;  by  these  alone  men  prosper ;  all  else  leads  to 
destruction." 

In  concluding  his  exhortation,  he  added,  "  I  do  but  go 
before  you  ;  you  will  soon  follow  me.  Death  awaits  us 
all ;  let  no  one  then  seek  to  turn  it  aside  from  me.  My 
life  has  been  for  your  good ;  so  will  be  my  death." 

These  were  the  last  words  he  spake  in  public ;  he  was 
again  conducted  back  by  Ali  and  Abbas  to  the  dwelling 
of  Ayesha. 

On  a  succeeding  day  there  was  an  interval  during 
which  he  appeared  so  well  that  Ali,  Abu  Beker,  Omar, 
and  the  rest  of  those  who  had  been  constantly  about 
him,  absented  themselves  for  a  time,  to  attend  to  their 


326  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

affairs.  Ayesha  alone  remained  with  him.  The  interval 
was  but  illusive.  His  pains  returned  with  redoubled  vio- 
lence. Finding  death  approaching,  he  gave  orders  that 
all  his  slaves  should  be  restored  to  freedom,  and  all  the 
money  in  the  house  distributed  among  the  poor ;  then 
raising  his  eyes  to  heaven,  "God  be  with  me  in  the  death 
struggle,"  exclaimed  he. 

Ayesha  now  sent  in  haste  for  her  father  and  Hafza. 
Left  alone  with  Mahomet,  she  sustained  his  head  on  her 
lap,  watching  over  him  with  tender  assiduity,  and  en- 
deavoring to  soothe  his  dying  agonies.  From  time  to 
time  he  would  dip  his  hand  in  a  vase  of  water,  and  with 
it  feebly  sprinkle  his  face.  At  length  raising  his  eyes 
and  gazing  upward  for  a  time  with  unmoving  eyelids,  "  O 
Allah!"  ejaculated  he,  in  broken  accents,  "be  it  so! — 
among  the  glorious  associates  in  paradise  ! " 

"  I  knew  by  this,"  said  Ayesha,  who  related  the  dying 
scene,  "that  his  last  moment  had  arrived,  and  that  he 
had  made  choice  of  supernal  existence." 

In  a  few  moments  his  hands  were  cold,  and  life  was 
extinct.  Ayesha  laid  his  head  upon  the  pillow,  and 
beating  her  head  and  breast,  gave  way  to  loud  lamenta- 
tions. Her  outcries  brought  the  other  wives  of  Ma- 
homet, and  their  clamorous  grief  soon  made  the  event 
known  throughout  the  city.  Consternation  seized  upon 
the  people,  as  if  some  prodigy  had  happened.  All  busi- 
ness was  suspended.  The  army  which  had  struck  its 
tents  was  ordered  to  halt,  and  Osama,  whose  foot  was  in 


DEATH.  327 

the  stirrup  for  the  march,  turned  his  steed  to  the  gates 
of  Medina,  and  planted  his  standard  at  the  prophet's 
door. 

The  multitude  crowded  to  contemplate  the  corpse,  and 
agitation  and  dispute  prevailed  even  in  the  chamber  of 
death.  Some  discredited  the  evidence  of  their  senses. 
"How  can  he  be  dead?"  cried  they.  "Is  he  not  our 
mediator  with  God  ?  How  then  can  he  be  dead  ?  Im- 
possible !  He  is  but  in  a  trance,  and  carried  up  to  heaven 
like  Isa  (Jesus)  and  the  other  prophets." 

The  throng  augmented  about  the  house,  declaring  with 
clamor  that  the  body  should  not  be  interred ;  when  Omar, 
who  had  just  heard  the  tidings,  arrived.  He  drew  his 
scimetar,  and  passing  through  the  crowd,  threatened  ta 
strike  off  the  hands  and  feet  of  any  one  who  should 
affirm  that  the  prophet  was  dead.  "  He  has  but  departed 
for  a  time,"  said  he,  "  as  Musa  (Moses)  the  son  of  Imram 
went  up  forty  days  into  the  mountain ;  and  like  him  he 
will  return  again." 

Abu  Beker,  who  had  been  in  a  distant  part  of  the  city, 
arrived  in  time  to  soothe  the  despair  of  the  people  and 
calm  the  transports  of  Omar.  Passing  into  the  chamber 
he  raised  the  cloth  which  covered  the  corpse,  and  kissing 
the  pale  face  of  Mahomet,  "  O  thou ! "  exclaimed  he, 
"  who  wert  to  me  as  my  father  and  my  mother ;  sweet  art 
thou  even  in  death,  and  living  odors  dost  thou  exhale ! 
Now  livest  thou  in  everlasting  bliss,  for  never  will  Allah 
subject  thee  to  a  second  death." 


328  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

Then  covering  the  corpse  he  went  forth,  and  endeav- 
ored to  silence  Omar,  bnt  finding  it  impossible,  he  ad- 
dressed the  multitude.  "Truly  if  Mahomet  is  the  sole 
object  of  your  adoration,  he  is  dead ;  but  if  it  be  God  you 
worship,  he  cannot  die.  Mahomet  was  but  the  prophet 
of  God,  and  has  shared  the  fate  of  the  apostles  and  holy 
men  who  have  gone  before  him.  Allah,  himself,  has  said 
in  his  Koran  that  Mahomet  was  but  his  ambassador,  and 
was  subject  to  death.  What  then !  will  you  turn  the  heel 
upon  him,  and  abandon  his  doctrine  because  he  is  dead  ? 
Eemember  your  apostasy  harms  not  God,  but  insures 
your  own  condemnation ;  while  the  blessings  of  God  will 
be  poured  out  upon  those  who  continue  faithful  to  him." 

The  people  listened  to  Abu  Beker  with  tears  and  sob- 
bings, and  as  they  listened  their  despair  subsided.  Even 
Omar  was  convinced  but  not  consoled,  throwing  himself 
on  the  earth  and  bewailing  the  death  of  Mahomet,  whoci 
he  remembered  as  his  commander  and  his  friend. 

The  death  of  the  prophet,  according  to  the  Moslem  his- 
torians Abulfeda  and  Al  Jannabi,  took  place  on  his  birth 
day,  when  he  had  completed  his  sixty-third  year.     It  wa^ 
in  the  eleventh  year  of  the  Hegira,  and  the  632d  year  of 
the  Christian  era. 

The  body  was  prepared  for  sepulture  by  several  of  the 
dearest  relatives  and  disciples.  They  affirmed  that  a 
marvelous  fragrance  which,  according  to  the  evidence  of 
his  wives  and  daughters,  emanated  from  his  person  dur- 
ing life,  still  continued ;  so  that,  to  use  the  words  of  Ali, 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  BURIAL.  329 

"it  seemed  as  if  he  were,  at  the  same  time,  dead  and 
living." 

The  body  having  been  washed  and  perfumed,  was 
wrapped  in  three  coverings ;  two  white,  and  the  third  of 
the  striped  cloth  of  Yemen.  The  whole  was  then  per- 
fumed with  amber,  musk,  aloes,  and  odoriferous  herbs. 
After  this  it  was  exposed  in  public,  and  seventy-twr 
prayers  were  offered  up. 

The  body  remained  three  days  unburied,  in  compliance 
with  oriental  custom,  and  to  satisfy  those  who  still  be- 
lieved in  the  possibility  of  a  trance.  When  the  evidences 
of  mortality  could  no  longer  be  mistaken,  preparations 
were  made  for  interment.  A  dispute  now  arose  as  to  the 
place  of  sepulture.  The  Mohadjerins  or  disciples  from 
Mecca  contended  for  that  city,  as  being  the  place  of  his 
nativity ;  the  Ansarians  claimed  for  Medina,  as  his  asylum 
and  the  place  of  his  residence  during  the  last  ten  years  of 
his  life.  A  third  party  advised  that  his  remains  should 
be  transported  to  Jerusalem,  as  the  place  of  sepulture  of 
the  prophets.  Abu  Beker,  whose  word  had  always  the 
greatest  weight,  declared  it  to  have  been  the  expressed 
opinion  of  Mahomet  that  a  prophet  should  be  buried  in 
the  place  where  he  died.  This  in  the  present  instance 
was  complied  with  to  the  very  letter,  for  a  grave  was 
digged  in  the  house  of  Ayesha,  beneath  the  very  bed  on 
which  Mahomet  had  expired. 

Note. — The  house  of  Ayesha  was  immediately  adjacent  to  the  mosque, 
which  was  at  that  time  a  humble  edifice  with  clay  walls,  and  a  rooi 


330  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

thatched  with  palm  leaves,  and  supported  by  the  trunks  of  trees.  It  hag 
since  been  included  in  a  spacious  temple,  on  the  plan  of  a  colonnade,  in- 
closing an  oblong  square,  165  paces  by  130,  open  to  the  heavens,  with  four 
gates  of  entrance.  The  colonnade,  of  several  rows  of  pillars  of  various 
sizes  covered  with  stucco  and  gayly  painted,  supports  a  succession  of  small 
white  cupolas  on  the  four  sides  of  the  square.  At  the  four  corners  are 
lofty  and  tapering  minarets. 

Near  the  southeast  corner  of  the  square  is  an  inclosure,  surrounded  by 
an  iron  railing,  painted  green,  wrought  with  filigree  work  and  interwoven 
with  brass  and  gilded  wire  admitting  no  view  of  the  interior  excepting 
through  small  windows,  about  six  inches  square.  This  inclosure,  the  great 
resort  of  pilgrims,  is  called  the  Hadgira,  and  contains  the  tombs  of  Ma- 
homet, and  his  two  friends  and  early  successors,  Abu  Beker  and  Omar. 
Above  this  sacred  inclosure  rises  a  lofty  dome  surmounted  with  a  gilded 
globe  and  crescent,  at  the  first  sight  of  which,  pilgrims,  as  they  approach 
Medina,  salute  the  tomb  of  the  prophet  with  profound  inclinations  of  the 
body  and  appropriate  prayers.  The  marvelous  tale,  so  long  considered 
veritable,  that  the  coffin  of  Mahomet  remained  suspended  in  the  air  with- 
out any  support,  and  which  Christian  writers  accounted  for  by  supposing 
that  it  was  of  iron,  and  dexterously  placed  midway  between  two  magnets, 
is  proved  to  be  an  idle  fiction. 

The  mosque  has  undergone  changes.  It  was  at  one  time  partially 
thrown  down  and  destroyed  in  an  awful  tempest,  but  was  rebuilt  by  the 
Soldan  of  Egypt.  It  has  been  enlarged  and  embellished  by  various 
Caliphs,  and  in  particular  by  Waled  I.,  under  whom  Spain  was  invaded 
and  conquered.  It  was  plundered  of  its  immense  votive  treasures  by  the 
Wahabees  when  they  took  and  pillaged  Medina.  It  is  now  maintained, 
though  with  diminished  splendor,  under  the  care  of  about  thirty  Agas, 
whose  chief  is  called  Sheikh  Al  Haram,  or  Chief  of  the  Holy  House.  He 
is  the  principal  personage  in  Medina.  Pilgrimage  to  Medina,  though 
considered  a  most  devout  and  meritorious  act,  is  not  imposed  on  Mahom- 
etans, like  pilgrimage  to  Mecca,  as  a  religious  duty,  and  has  much  de- 
clined in  modern  days. 

The  foregoing  particulars  are  from  Burckhardt,  who  gained  admission 
into  Medina,  as  well  as  into  Mecca,  in  disguise  and  at  great  peril ;  admit* 
taace  into  those  cities  being  prohibited  to  all  but  Moslems. 


CHAPTEB  XXXIX. 

PERSON  AND  CHARACTER  OF  MAHOMET,  AND  SPECULATIONS  ON  HIS  PROPHETIC 

CAREER. 

SAHOMET,  according  to  accounts  handed  down 
by  tradition  from  his  contemporaries,  was  of 
the  middle  stature,  square  built  and  sinewy, 
with  large  hands  and  feet.  In  his  youth  he  was  uncom- 
monly strong  and  vigorous ;  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life 
he  inclined  to  corpulency.  His  head  was  capacious,  well 
shaped,  and  well  set  on  a  neck  which  rose  like  a  pillar 
from  his  ample  chest.  His  forehead  was  high,  broad  at 
the  temples,  and  crossed  by  veins  extending  down  to 
the  eyebrows,  which  swelled  whenever  he  was  angry  or 
excited.  He  had  an  oval  face,  marked  and  expressive 
features,  an  aquiline  nose,  black  eyes,  arched  eyebrows 
which  nearly  met,  a  mouth  large  and  inflexible,  indica- 
tive of  eloquence ;  very  white  teeth,  somewhat  parted 
and  irregular ;  black  hair  which  waved  without  a  curl  on 
his  shoulders,  and  a  long  and  very  full  beard. 

His  deportment,  in  general,  was  calm  and  equable ;  he 
sometimes  indulged  in  pleasantry,  but  more  commonly 
was  grave  and  dignified ;  though  he  is  said  to  have  pos- 

331 


332  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

sessed  a  smile  of  captivating  sweetness.  His  complexion 
was  more  ruddy  than  is  usual  with  Arabs,  and  in  his  ex- 
cited and  enthusiastic  moments  there  was  a  glow  and 
radiance  in  his  countenance,  which  his  disciples  magni- 
fied into  the  supernatural  light  of  prophecy. 

His  intellectual  qualities  were  undoubtedly  of  an  ex- 
traordinary kind.  He  had  a  quick  apprehension,  a  re- 
tentive memory,  a  vivid  imagination,  and  an  inventive 
genius.  Owing  but  little  to  education,  he  had  quickened 
and  informed  his  mind  by  close  observation,  and  stored 
it  with  a  great  variety  of  knowledge  concerning  the  sys- 
tems of  religion  current  in  his  day,  or  handed  down  by 
tradition  from  antiquity.  His  ordinary  discourse  was 
grave  and  sententious,  abounding  with  those  aphorisms 
and  apologues  so  popular  among  the  Arabs ;  at  times  he 
was  excited  and  eloquent,  and  his  eloquence  was  aided 
by  a  voice  musical  and  sonorous. 

He  was  sober  and  abstemious  in  his  diet,  and  a  rigor- 
ous observer  of  fasts.  He  indulged  in  no  magnificence  of 
apparel,  the  ostentation  of  a  petty  mind  ;  neither  was  his 
simplicity  in  dress  affected  ;  but  the  result  of  a  real  dis- 
regard to  distinction  from  so  trivial  a  source.  His  gar- 
ments were  sometimes  of  wool ;  sometimes  of  the  striped 
cotton  of  Yemen,  and  were  often  patched.  He  wore  a 
turban,  for  he  said  turbans  were  worn  by  the  angels  ;  and 
in  arranging  it  he  let  one  end  hang  down  between  his 
shoulders,  which  he  said  was  the  way  they  wore  it.  He 
forbade  the  wearing  of  clothes  entirely  of  silk ;  but  per- 


CHARACTERISTICS.  333 

mitted  a  mixture  of  thread  and  silk.  He  forbade  also 
red  clothes  and  the  use  of  gold  rings.  He  wore  a  seal 
ring  of  silver,  the  engraved  part  under  his  finger  close  to 
the  palm  of  his  hand,  bearing  the  inscription,  "  Mahomet 
the  messenger  of  God."  He  was  scrupulous  as  to  per- 
sonal cleanliness,  and  observed  frequent  ablutions.  In 
some  respects  he  was  a  voluptuary.  "  There  are  two 
ihings  in  this  world,"  would  he  say,  "  which  delight  me, 
women  and  perfumes.  These  two  things  rejoice  my  eyes 
and  render  me  more  fervent  in  devotion."  From  his  ex- 
treme cleanliness,  and  the  use  of  perfumes  and  sweet- 
scented  oil  for  his  hair,  probably  arose  that  sweetness 
and  fragrance  of  person,  which  his  disciples  considered 
innate  and  miraculous.  His  passion  for  the  sex  had  an 
influence  over  all  his  affairs.  It  is  said  that  when  in 
the  presence  of  a  beautiful  female,  he  was  continually 
■smoothing  his  brow  and  adjusting  his  hair,  as  if  anxious 
io  appear  to  advantage. 

The  number  of  his  wives  is  uncertain.  Abulfeda,  who 
writes  with  more  caution  than  other  of  the  Arabian  his- 
torians, limits  it  to  fifteen,  though  some  make  it  as  much 
as  twenty-five.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  had  nine, 
each  in  her  separate  dwelling,  and  all  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  mosque  at  Medina.  The  plea  alleged  for  his  indulg- 
ing in  a  greater  number  of  wives  than  he  permitted  to 
his  followers,  was  a  desire  to  beget  a  race  of  prophets  for 
his  people.  If  such  indeed  were  his  desire,  it  was  disap- 
pointed.    Of  all   his   children,  Fatima   the   wife   of  Ali 


334:  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

alone  survived  him,  and  she  died  within  a  short  time 
after  his  death.  Of  her  descendants,  none  excepting  her 
eldest  son  Hassan  ever  sat  on  the  throne  of  the  Caliphs. 

In  his  private  dealings  he  was  just.  He  treated  friends 
and  strangers,  the  rich  and  poor,  the  powerful  and  the 
weak,  with  equity,  and  was  beloved  by  the  common 
people  for  the  affability  with  which  he  received  them, 
and  listened  to  their  complaints. 

He  was  naturally  irritable,  but  had  brought  his  temper 
under  great  control,  so  that  even  in  the  self-indulgent 
intercourse  of  domestic  life  he  was  kind  and  tolerant. 
"  I  served  him  from  the  time  I  was  eight  years  old,"  said 
his  servant  Anas,  "  and  he  never  scolded  me  for  any- 
thing, though  things  were  spoiled  by  me." 

The  question  now  occurs,  was  he  the  unprincipled  im- 
postor that  he  has  been  represented?  Were  all  his  vi- 
sions and  revelations  deliberate  falsehoods,  and  was  his 
whole  system  a  tissue  of  deceit?  In  considering  this' 
question  we  must  bear  in  mind,  that  he  is  not  charge- 
able with  many  extravagances  which  exist  in  his  name. 
Many  of  the  visions  and  revelations  handed  down  as 
having  been  given  by  him  are  spurious.  The  miracles 
ascribed  to  him  are  all  fabrications  of  Moslem  zealots. 
He  expressly  and  repeatedly  disclaimed  all  miracles 
excepting  the  Koran  ;  which,  considering  its  incompara- 
ble merit,  and  the  way  in  which  it  had  come  down  to  him 
from  heaven,  he  pronounced  the  greatest  of  miracles.  And 
here  we  must  indulge  a  few  observations  on  this  famous 


NOTICE  OF  THE  KORAN  335 

document.  While  zealous  Moslems  and  some  of  the 
most  learned  doctors  of  the  faith  draw  proofs  of  its  di- 
vine origin  from  the  inimitable  excellence  of  its  style  and 
composition,  and  the  avowed  illiteracy  of  Mahomet,  less 
devout  critics  have  pronounced  it  a  chaos  of  beauties 
and  defects ;  without  method  or  arrangement ;  full  of 
obscurities,  incoherencies,  repetitions,  false  versions  of 
Scriptural  stories,  and  direct  contradictions.  The  truth 
is  that  the  Koran  as  it  now  exists  is  not  the  same  Koran 
delivered  by  Mahomet  to  his  disciples,  but  has  under- 
gone many  corruptions  and  interpolations.  The  revela- 
tions contained  in  it  were  given  at  various  times,  in 
various  places,  and  before  various  persons  ;  sometimes 
they  were  taken  down  by  his  secretaries  or  disciples  or 
parchment,  on  palm-leaves,  or  the  shoulder  blades  of 
sheep,  and  thrown  together  in  a  chest,  of  which  one  of 
his  wives  had  charge ;  sometimes  they  were  merely  treas- 
ured up  in  the  memories  of  those  who  heard  them.  No 
care  appears  to  have  been  taken  to  systematize  and  ar- 
range them  during  his  life  ;  and  at  his  death  they  re- 
mained in  scattered  fragments,  many  of  them  at  the  mer- 
cy of  fallacious  memories.  It  was  not  until  some  time 
after  his  death  that  Abu  Beker  undertook  to  have  them 
gathered  together  and  transcribed.  Zeid  Ibn  Thabet5 
who  had  been  one  of  the  secretaries  of  Mahomet,  was  em- 
ployed for  the  purpose.  He  professed  to  know  many 
parts  of  the  Koran  by  heart,  having  written  them  down 
under  the  dictation  of  the  prophet ;  other  parts  he  col- 


336  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSOKS. 

lected  piecemeal  from  various  hands,  written  down  in 
the  rude  way  we  have  mentioned,  and  many  parts  he 
took  down  as  repeated  to  him  by  various  disciples  who 
professed  to  have  heard  them  uttered  by  the  prophet 
himself.  The  heterogeneous  fragments  thus  collected 
were  thrown  together  without  selection ;  without  chro- 
nological order,  and  without  system  of  any  kind.  The 
volume  thus  formed  during  the  Caliphat  of  Abu  Beker 
was  transcribed  by  different  hands,  and  many  professed 
copies  put  in  circulation  and  dispersed  throughout  the 
Moslem  cities.  So  many  errors,  interpolations,  and  con- 
tradictory readings,  soon  crept  into  these  copies,  that 
Othman,  the  third  Caliph,  called  in  the  various  manu- 
scripts, and  forming  what  he  pronounced  the  genuine 
Koran,  caused  all  the  others  to  be  destroyed. 

This  simple  statement  may  account  for  many  of  the  in- 
coherencies,  repetitions,  and  other  discrepancies  charged 
upon  this  singular  document.  Mahomet,  as  has  justly 
been  observed,  may  have  given  the  same  precepts,  or  re- 
lated the  same  apologue  at  different  times,  to  different 
persons  in  different  words ;  or  various  persons  may  have 
been  present  at  one  time,  and  given  various  versions  of 
his  words  ;  and  reported  his  apologues  and  scriptural 
stories  in  different  ways,  according  to  their  imperfect 
memoranda  or  fallible  recollections.  Many  revelations 
given  by  him  as  having  been  made  in  foregone  times  to 
the  prophets,  his  predecessors,  may  have  been  reported 
as  having  b^en  given  as  relations  made  to  himself.     It 


QUESTIONS  OF  IMPOSTURE.  337 

has  been  intimated  that  Abu  Beker,  in  the  early  days  of 
his  Caliphat,  may  have  found  it  politic  to  interpolate 
many  things  in  the  Koran,  calculated  to  aid  him  in  emer-' 
gencies,  and  confirm  the  empire  of  Islamism.  What  cor- 
ruptions and  interpolations  may  have  been  made  by 
other  and  less  scrupulous  hands,  after  the  prophet's 
death,  we  may  judge  by  the  daring  liberties  of  the  kind 
taken  by  Abdallah  Ibn  Saad,  one  of  his  secretaries,  dur- 
ing his  life-time. 

From  all  these  circumstance  it  will  appear,  that  even 
the  documentary  memorials  concerning  Mahomet  abound 
with  vitiations,  while  the  traditional  are  full  of  fable. 
These  increase  the  difficulty  of  solving  the  enigma  of  his 
character  and  conduct.  His  history  appears  to  resolve 
itself  into  two  grand  divisions.  During  the  first  part,  up 
to  the  period  of  middle  life,  we  cannot  perceive  what  ade- 
quate object  he  had  to  gain  by  the  impious  and  stupen- 
dous imposture  with  which  he  stands  charged.  "Was  it 
riches  ?  His  marriage  with  Cadijah  had  already  made 
him  wealthy,  and  for  years  preceding  his  pretended  vi- 
sion he  had  manifested  no  desire  to  increase  his  store. 
Was  it  distinction  ?  He  already  stood  high  in  his  native 
place,  as  a  man  of  intelligence  and  probity.  He  was  of 
the  illustrious  tribe  of  Koreish,  and  of  the  most  honored 
branch  of  that  tribe.  Was  it  power  ?  The  guardianship 
of  the  Caaba,  and  with  it  the  command  of  the  sacred  city, 
had  been  for  generations  in  his  immediate  family,  and  his 
situation  and  circumstances  entitled  him  to  look  forward 
vol.  1.— 22 


338  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

with  confidence  to  that  exalted  trust.  In  attempting  to 
subvert  the  faith  in  which  he  had  been  brought  up,  he 
struck  at  the  root  of  all  these  advantages.  On  that  faith 
were  founded  the  fortunes  and  dignities  of  his  family. 
To  assail  it  must  draw  on  himself  the  hostility  of  his 
kindred,  the  indignation  of  his  fellow- citizens,  and  the 
horror  and  odium  of  all  his  countrymen,  who  were  wor- 
shippers at  the  Caaba. 

Was  there  anything  brilliant  in  the  outset  of  his 
prophetic  career  to  repay  him  for  these  sacrifices,  and  to 
lure  him  on  ?  On  the  contrary,  it  was  begun  in  doubt 
and  secrecy.  For  years  it  was  not  attended  by  any  ma- 
terial success.  In  proportion  as  he  made  known  his 
doctrines  and  proclaimed  his  revelations,  they  subjected 
him  to  ridicule,  scorn,  obloquy,  and  finally  to  an  invet- 
erate persecution ;  which  ruined  the  fortunes  of  himself 
and  his  friends ;  compelled  some  of  his  family  and  fol- 
lowers to  take  refuge  in  a  foreign  land ;  obliged  him  to 
hide  from  sight  in  his  native  city,  and  finally  drove  him 
forth  a  fugitive  to  seek  an  uncertain  home  elsewhere. 
Why  should  he  persist  for  years  in  a  course  of  imposture 
which  was  thus  prostrating  all  his  worldly  fortunes,  at  a 
time  of  life  when  it  was  too  late  to  build  them  up  anew  ? 

In  the  absence  of  sufficient  worldly  motives,  we  are 
compelled  to  seek  some  other  explanation  of  his  conduct 
in  this  stage  of  his  most  enigmatical  history ;  and  this 
we  have  endeavored  to  set  forth  in  the  early  part  of  this 
Work;  where  we  have  shown  his  enthusiastic  and  vision- 


QUESTIONS  OF  IMPOSTURE.  339 

ary  spirit  gradually  wrought  up  by  solitude,  fasting, 
prayer,  and  meditation,  and  irritated  by  bodily  disease 
into  a  state  of  temporary  delirium,  in  which  he  fancies 
he  receives  a  revelation  from  heaven,  and  is  declared  a 
prophet  of  the  Most  High.  We  cannot  but  think  there 
was  self-deception  in  this  instance ;  and  that  he  believed 
in  the  reality  of  the  dream  or  vision ;  especially  after  his 
doubts  had  been  combated  by  the  zealous  and  confiding 
Cadijah,  and  the  learned  and  crafty  Waraka. 

Once  persuaded  of  his  divine  mission  to  go  forth  antf 
preach  the  faith,  all  subsequent  dreams  and  impulses 
might  be  construed  to  the  same  purport ;  all  might  be 
considered  intimations  of  the  divine  will,  imparted  m 
their  several  ways  to  him  as  a  prophet.  We  find  him 
repeatedly  subject  to  trances  and  ecstasies  in  times  of 
peculiar  agitation  and  excitement,  when  he  may  have 
fancied  himself  again  in  communication  with  the  Deity, 
and  these  were  almost  always  followed  by  revelations. 

The  general  tenor  of  his  conduct  up  to  the  time  of  his 
flight  from  Mecca,  is  that  of  an  enthusiast  acting  under  a 
species  of  mental  delusion ;  deeply  imbued  with  a  con- 
viction of  his  being  a  divine  agent  for  religious  reform : 
and  there  is  something  striking  and  sublime  in  the  lumi- 
nous path  which  his  enthusiastic  spirit  struck  out  for 
itself  through  the  bewildering  maze  of  adverse  faiths  and 
wild  traditions;  the  pure  and  spiritual  worship  of  the 
one  true  God,  which  he  sought  to  substitute  for  the 
blind  idolatry  of  his  childhood. 


■340  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

All  the  parts  of  the  Koran  supposed  to  have  been  pro- 
mulgated by  him  at  this  time,  incoherently  as  they  have 
come  down  to  us,  and  marred  as  their  pristine  beauty 
must  be  in  passing  through  various  hands,  are  of  a  pure 
and  elevated  character,  and  breathe  poetical,  if  not  re- 
ligious, inspiration.  They  show  that  he  had  drunk  deep 
of  the  living  waters  of  Christianity,  and  if  he  had  failed 
to  imbibe  them  in  their  crystal  purity,  it  might  be  be- 
cause he  had  to  drink  from  broken  cisterns,  and  streams 
troubled  and  perverted  by  those  who  should  have  been 
their  guardians.  The  faith  he  had  hitherto  inculcated 
was  purer  than  that  held  forth  by  some  of  the  pseudo- 
Christians  of  Arabia,  and  his  life,  so  far,  had  been  regu- 
lated according  to  its  tenets. 

Such  is  our  view  of  Mahomet  and  his  conduct  during 
the  early  part  of  his  career,  while  he  was  a  persecuted 
and  ruined  man  in  Mecca.  A  signal  change,  however, 
took  place,  as  we  have  shown  in  the  foregoing  chapters, 
after  his  flight  to  Medina,  when,  in  place  of  the  mere 
shelter  and  protection  which  he  sought,  he  finds  himself 
revered  as  a  prophet,  implicitly  obeyed  as  a  chief,  and  at 
the  head  of  a  powerful,  growing,  and  warlike  host  of 
votaries.  From  this  time  worldly  passions  and  worldly 
schemes  too  often  give  the  impulse  to  his  actions,  instead 
of  that  visionary  enthusiasm  which,  even  if  mistaken, 
threw  a  glow  of  piety  on  his  earlier  deeds.  The  old  doc- 
trines of  forbearance,  long-suffering,  and  resignation,  are 
suddenly  dashed  aside  ;  he  becomes  vindictive  towards 


QUESTIONS  OF  IMPOSTURE.  341 

those  who  have  hitherto  oppressed  him,  and  ambitious 
of  extended  rule.  His  doctrines,  precepts,  and  conduct, 
become  marked  by  contradictions,  and  his  whole  course 
is  irregular  and  unsteady.  His  revelations,  henceforth, 
are  so  often  opportune,  and  fitted  to  particular  emergen- 
cies, that  we  are  led  to  doubt  his  sincerity,  and  that  he 
is  any  longer  under  the  same  delusion  concerning  them. 
Still,  it  must  be  remembered,  as  we  have  shown,  that  the 
records  of  these  revelations  are  not  always  to  be  de- 
pended upon.  What  he  may  have  uttered  as  from  his 
own  will,  may  have  been  reported  as  if  given  by  the  will 
of  God.  Often,  too,  as  we  have  already  suggested,  he 
may  have  considered  his  own  impulses  as  divine  intima- 
tions ;  and  that,  being  an  agent  ordained  to  propagate 
the  faith,  all  impulses  and  conceptions  toward  that  end 
might  be  part  of  a  continued  and  divine  inspiration. 

If  we  are  far  from  considering  Mahomet  the  gross  and 
impious  impostor  that  some  have  represented  him,  so 
also  are  we  indisposed  to  give  him  credit  for  vast  fore- 
cast, and  for  that  deeply  concerted  scheme  of  universal 
conquest  which  has  been  ascribed  to  him.  He  was,  un- 
doubtedly, a  man  of  great  genius  and  a  suggestive  imagi- 
nation, but  it  appears  to  us  that  he  was,  in  a  great  de- 
gree, the  creature  of  impulse  and  excitement,  and  very 
much  at  the  mercy  of  circumstances.  His  schemes  grew 
out  of  his  fortunes,  and  not  his  fortunes  out  of  his 
schemes.  He  was  forty  years  of  age  before  he  first 
broached  his  doctrines.     He  suffered  year  after  year  to 


342  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 

steal  away  before  lie  promulgated  them  out  of  his  own 
family.  When  he  fled  from  Mecca  thirteen  years  had 
elapsed  from  the  announcement  of  his  mission,  and  from 
being  a  wealthy  merchant  he  had  sunk  to  be  a  ruined 
fugitive.  When  he  reached  Medina  he  had  no  idea  of  the 
worldly  power  that  awaited  him  ;  his  only  thought  was 
to  build  a  humble  mosque  where  he  might  preach ;  and 
his  only  hope  that  he  might  be  suffered  to  preach  with 
impunity.  When  power  suddenly  broke  upon  him,  he 
used  it  for  a  time  in  petty  forays  and  local  feuds.  His 
military  plans  expanded  with  his  resources,  but  were  by 
no  means  masterly,  and  were  sometimes  unsuccessful. 
They  were  not  struck  out  with  boldness,  nor  executed 
with  decision ;  but  were  often  changed  in  deference  to 
the  opinions  of  warlike  men  about  him,  and  sometimes 
at  the  suggestion  of  inferior  minds,  who  occasionally  led 
him  wrong.  Had  he,  indeed,  conceived  from  the  outset 
the  idea  of  binding  up  the  scattered  and  conflicting 
tribes  of  Arabia  into  one  nation  by  a  brotherJiood  offaitli^ 
for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  a  scheme  of  external  con- 
quest, he  would  have  been  one  of  the  first  of  military 
projectors  ;  but  the  idea  of  extended  conquest  seems  to 
have  been  an  afterthought,  produced  by  success.  The 
moment  he  proclaimed  the  religion  of  the  sword,  and 
gave  the  predatory  Arabs  a  taste  of  foreign  plunder,  that 
moment  he  was  launched  in  a  career  of  conquest,  which 
carried  him  forward  with  its  own  irresistible  impetus. 
The  fanatic  zeal  with  which  he  had  inspired  his  followers 


MILITARY  CHARACTER.  343 

did  more  for  his  success  than  his  military  science ;  their 
belief  in  his  doctrine  of  predestination  produced  vic- 
tories which  no  military  calculation  could  have  antici- 
pated. In  his  dubious  outset  as  a  prophet,  he  had  been 
encouraged  by  the  crafty  counsels  of  his  scriptural  oracle 
Waraka ;  in  his  career  as  a  conqueror,  he  had  Omar, 
Khaled,  and  other  fiery  spirits  by  his  side  to  urge  him 
on,  and  to  aid  him  in  managing  the  tremendous  power 
which  he  had  evoked  into  action.  Even  with  all  their 
aid,  he  had  occasionally  to  avail,  himself  of  his  super- 
natural machinery  as  a  prophet,  and  in  so  doing  may 
have  reconciled  himself  to  the  fraud  by  considering  the 
pious  end  to  be  obtained. 

His  military  triumphs  awakened  no  pride,  no  vain- 
glory, as  they  would  have  done  had  they  been  effected 
for  selfish  purposes.  In  the  time  of  his  greatest  power, 
he  maintained  the  same  simplicity  of  manners  and  ap- 
pearance as  in  the  days  of  his  adversity.  So  far  from 
affecting  regal  state,  he  was  displeased  if,  on  entering  a 
room,  any  unusual  testimonial  of  respect  were  shown 
him.  If  he  aimed  at  universal  dominion,  it  was  the  do- 
minion of  the  faith  :  as  to  the  temporal  rule  which  grew 
up  in  his  hands,  as  he  used  it  without  ostentation,  so  he 
took  no  step  to  perpetuate  it  in  his  family. 

The  riches  which  poured  in  upon  him  from  tribute  and 
the  spoils  of  war,  were  expended  in  promoting  the  vic- 
tories of  the  faith,  and  in  relieving  the  poor  among  its 
votaries  ;  insomuch  that  his  treasury  was  often  drained 


344  MAHOMET  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS 

of  its  last  coin.  Omar  Ibn  Al  Hareth  declares  that  Ma- 
homet, at  his  death,  did  not  leave  a  golden  dinar  nor  a 
silver  dirhem,  a  slave  nor  a  slave  girl,  nor  anything  but 
his  gray  mule  Daldal,  his  arms,  and  the  ground  which  he 
bestowed  upon  his  wives,  his  children,  and  the  poor. 
"  Allah,"  says  an  Arabian  writer,  "  offered  him  the  keys 
of  all  the  treasures  of  the  earth,  but  he  refused  to  accept 
them." 

It  is  this  perfect  abnegation  of  self,  connected  with 
this  apparently  heartfelt  piety,  running  throughout  the 
various  phases  of  his  fortune,  which  perplex  one  in  form- 
ing a  just  estimate  of  Mahomet's  character.  However  he 
betrayed  the  alloy  of  earth  after  he  had  worldly  power 
at  his  command,  the  early  aspirations  of  his  spirit  con- 
tinually returned  and  bore  him  above  all  earthly  things. 
Prayer,  that  vital  duty  of  Islamism,  and  that  infallible 
purifier  of  the  soul,  was  his  constant  practice.  "  Trust  in 
God,"  was  his  comfort  and  support  in  times  of  trial  and 
despondency.  On  the  clemency  of  God,  we  are  told,  he 
reposed  all  his  hopes  of  supernal  happiness.  Ayesha 
relates  that  on  one  occasion  she  inquired  of  him,  "  O 
prophet,  do  none  enter  paradise  but  through  God's 
mercy  ?  "  "  None — none — !  "  replied  he,  with  earnest  and 
emphatic  repetition.  "  But  you,  O  prophet,  will  not  you 
enter  excepting  through  his  compassion  ? "  Then  Ma- 
homet put  his  hand  upon  his  head,  and  replied  three 
times,  with  great  solemnity,  "  Neither  shall  I  enter  para- 
dise unless  God  cover  me  with  his  mercy  ! " 


CONCLUSION.  345 

When  he  hung  over  the  death-bed  of  his  infant  son 
Ibrahim,  resignation  to  the  will  of  God  was  exhibited  in 
his  conduct  under  this  keenest  of  afflictions ;  and  the 
hope  of  soon  rejoining  his  child  in  paradise  was  his  con- 
solation. When  he  followed  him  to  the  grave,  he  invoked 
his  spirit,  in  the  awful  examination  of  the  tomb,  to  hold 
fast  to  the  foundations  of  the  faith,  the  unity  of  God,  and 
his  own  mission  as  a  prophet.  Even  in  his  own  dying 
hour,  when  there  could  be  no  longer  a  worldly  motive  foi 
deceit,  he  still  breathed  the  same  religious  devotion,  and 
the  same  belief  in  his  apostolic  mission.  The  last  words 
that  trembled  on  his  lips  ejaculated  a  trust  of  soon 
entering  into  blissful  companionship  with  the  prophets 
who  had  gone  before  him. 

It  is  difficult  to  reconcile  such  ardent,  persevering 
piety  with  an  incessant  system  of  blasphemous  impos- 
ture ;  nor  such  pure  and  elevated  and  benignant  precepts 
as  are  contained  in  the  Koran,  with  a  mind  haunted  by 
ignoble  passions,  and  devoted  to  the  grovelling  interests 
of  mere  mortality;  and  we  find  no  other  satisfactory 
mode  of  solving  the  enigma  of  his  character  and  conduct, 
than  by  supposing  that  the  ray  of  mental  hallucination 
which  flashed  upon  his  enthusiastic  spirit  during  his 
religious  ecstasies  in  the  midnight  cavern  of  Mount 
Hara,  continued  more  or  less  to  bewilder  him  with  a 
species  of  monomania  to  the  end  of  his  career,  and  that 
he  died  in  the  delusive  belief  of  his  mission  as  a  prophet. 


APPENDIX. 


Appendix. 


OF  THE  ISLAM  FAITH. 

In  wrt  >arly  chapter  of  this  work  we  have  given  such  particulars  of  the 
faith  inculcated  by  Mahomet  as  we  deemed  important  to  the  understand- 
ing of  the  succeeding  narrative  :  we  now,  though  at  the  expense  of  some 
repetition,  subjoin  a  more  complete  summary,  accompanied  by  a  few  ob- 
servations. 

The  religion  of  Islam,  as  we  observed  on  the  before-mentioned  occasion, 
is  divided  into  two  parts  ;  Faith  and  Practice  : — and  first  of  Faith. 
This  is  distributed  under  six  different  heads,  or  articles,  viz. :  1st,  faith  in 
God  ;  2d,  in  his  angels  ;  3d,  in  his  Scriptures  or  Koran  ;  4th,  in  his 
prophets  ;  5th,  in  the  resurrection  and  final  judgment ;  6th,  in  predesti- 
nation. Of  these  we  will  briefly  treat  in  the  order  we  have  enumerated 
them. 

Faith  in  God.— Mahomet  inculcated  the  belief  that  there  is,  was,  and 
ever  will  be,  one  only  God,  the  creator  of  all  things  ;  who  is  single,  im- 
mutable, omniscient,  omnipotent,  all-merciful,  and  eternal.  The  unity 
of  God  was  specifically  and  strongly  urged,  in  contradistinction  to  the 
Trinity  of  the  Christians.  It  was  designated,  in  the  profession  of  faith, 
by  raising  one  finger,  and  exclaiming,  "  La  illaha  il  Allah  ! "  There  is  no 
God  but  God  ;  to  which  was  added,  "  Mohamed  Resoul  Allah  !"  Ma- 
homet is  the  prophet  of  God. 

Faith  in  Angels. — The  beautiful  doctrine  of  angels,  or  ministering 
spirits,  which  was  one  of  the  most  ancient  and  universal  of  oriental 

349 


350  APPENDIX. 

creeds,  is  interwoven  throughout  the  Islam  system.  They  are  represented 
as  ethereal  beings,  created  from  fire,  the  purest  of  elements,  perfect  in 
form  and  radiant  in  beauty,  but  without  sex  ;  free  from  all  gross  or 
sensual  passion,  and  all  the  appetites  and  infirmities  of  frail  humanity ; 
and  existing  in  perpetual  and  unfading  youth.  They  are  various  in  theii 
degrees  and  duties,  and  in  their  favor  with  the  Deity.  Some  worship 
around  the  celestial  throne  ;  others  perpetually  hymn  the  praises  of  Allah; 
some  are  winged  messengers  to  execute  his  orders,  and  others  intercede 
for  the  children  of  men. 

The  most  distinguished  of  this  heavenly  host  are  four  Archangels. 
Gabriel,  the  angel  of  revelations,  who  writes  down  the  divine  decrees  ; 
Michael,  the  champion,  who  fights  the  battles  of  the  faith  ;  Azrail,  the 
angel  of  death  ;  and  Izrafil,  who  holds  the  awful  commission  to  sound  the 
trumpet  on  the  day  of  resurrection.  There  was  another  angel  named 
Azazil,  the  same  as  Lucifer,  once  the  most  glorious  of  the  celestial  band ; 
but  he  became  proud  and  rebellious.  When  God  commanded  his  angels 
to  worship  Adam,  Azazil  refused,  saying,  "  Why  should  I,  whom  thou 
hast  created  of  fire,  bow  down  to  one  whom  thou  hast  formed  of  clay?" 
For  this  offense  he  was  accursed  and  cast  forth  from  paradise,  and  hi> 
name  changed  to  Eblis,  which  signifies  despair.  In  rovenge  of  his  abase- 
ment, he  works  all  kinds  of  mischief  against  the  children  of  men,  and 
inspires  them  with  disobedience  and  impiety. 

Among  the  angels  of  inferior  rank  is  a  class  called  Moakkibat ;  two  of 
whom  keep  watch  upon  each  mortal,  one  on  the  right  hand,  the  other  on 
the  left,  taking  note  of  every  word  and  action.  At  the  close  of  each 
day  they  fly  up  to  heaven  with  a  written  report,  and  are  replaced  by  two 
similar  angels  on  the  following  day.  According  to  Mahometan  tradition, 
every  good  action  is  recorded  ten  times  by  the  angoi  on  the  right  ;  and  if 
the  mortal  commit  a  sin,  the  same  benevolent  spi/H  says  to  the  angel  on 
the  left,  "  Forbear  for  seven  hours  to  record  it;  per&d venture  he  may  re- 
pent and  pray  and  obtain  forgiveness." 

Beside  the  angelic  orders  Mahomet  inculcates  a  belief  in  spiritual  be- 
ings called  Gins  or  Genii,  who,  though  likewise  created  of  fire,  partake  of 
the  appetites  and  frailties  of  the  children  of  the  dust,  and  like  them  are 


FAITH  01  ISLAM.  351 

ultimately  liable  to  death.  By  beings  of  this  nature,  which  haunt  the 
solitudes  of  the  desert,  Mahomet,  as  we  have  shown,  professed  to  have 
been  visited  after  his  evening  orisons  in  the  solitary  valley  of  Al  Naklah. 

When  the  angel  Azazil  rebelled  and  fell,  and  became  Satan  or  Eblis, 
he  still  maintained  sovereignty  over  these  inferior  spirits ;  who  are 
divided  by  Orientalists  into  Dives  and  Peri  :  the  former  ferocious  and 
gigantic  ;  the  latter  delicate  and  gentle,  subsisting  on  perfumes.  It 
would  seem  as  if  the  Peri  were  all  of  the  female  sex,  though  on  this  point 
there  rests  obscurity.  From  these  imaginary  beings  it  is  supposed  the 
European  fairies  are  derived. 

Besides  these  there  are  other  demi-spirits  called  Tacwins  or  Fates ; 
being  winged  females  of  beautiful  forms,  who  utter  oracles,  and  defend 
mortals  from  the  assaults  and  machinations  of  evil  demons. 

There  is  vagueness  and  uncertainty  about  all  the  attributes  given  by 
Mahomet  to  these  half-celestial  beings  ;  his  ideas  on  the  subject  having 
been  acquired  from  various  sources.  His  whole  system  of  intermediate 
spirits  has  a  strong,  though  indistinct  infusion  of  the  creeds  and  super- 
stitions of  the  Hebrews,  the  Magians,  and  the  Pagans  or  Sabeans. 

TJie  third  article  of  faith  is  a  belief  in  the  Koran,  as  a  book  of  divine 
revelation.  According  to  the  Moslem  creed,  a  book  was  treasured  up  in 
the  seventh  heaven,  and  had  existed  there  from  all  eternity,  in  which 
were  written  down  all  the  decrees  of  God,  and  all  events,  past,  present,  or 
to  come.  Transcripts  from  these  tablets  of  the  divine  will  were  brought 
down  to  the  lowest  heaven  by  the  angel  Gabriel,  and  by  him  revealed  to 
Mahomet  from  time  to  time,  in  portions  adapted  to  some  event  or  emer- 
gency. Being  the  direct  words  of  God,  they  were  all  spoken  in  the  first 
person. 

Of  the  way  in  which  these  revelations  were  taken  down  or  treasured  up 
by  secretaries  and  disciples,  and  gathered  together  by  Abu  Beker  after 
the  death  of  Mahomet,  we  have  made  sufficient  mention.  The  compila- 
tion, for  such  in  fact  it  is,  forms  the  Moslem  code  of  civil  and  penal,  as 
well  as  religious  law,  and  is  treated  with  the  utmost  reverence  by  all  true 
believers.  A  zealous  pride  is  shown  in  having  copies  of  it  splendidly 
bound  and  ornamented.     An  inscription  on  the  cover  forbids  any  one  to 


352  APPENDIX. 

touch  it  who  is  unclean,  and  it  is  considered  irreverent,  in  reading  it, 
to  hold  it  below  the  girdle.  Moslems  swear  by  it,  and  take  omens  from 
its  pages,  by  opening  it  and  reading  the  first  text  that  meets  the  eye. 
With  all  its  errors  and  discrepancies,  if  we  consider  it  mainly  as  the  work 
of  one  man,  and  that  an  unlettered  man,  it  remains  a  stupendous  monu- 
ment of  solitary  legislation. 

Beside  the  Koran  or  written  law,  a  number  of  precepts  and  apologues 
which  casually  fell  from  the  lips  of  Mahomet  were  collected  after  his 
death  from  ear-witnesses,  and  transcribed  into  a  book  called  the  Sonna  01 
Oral  Law.  This  is  held  equally  sacred  with  the  Koran  by  a  sect  of  Ma- 
hometans thence  called  Sonnites  ;  others  reject  it  as  apocryphal ;  these 
last  are  termed  Schiites.  Hostilities  and  persecutions  have  occasionally 
taken  place  between  these  sects  almost  as  virulent  as  those  which,  between 
Catholics  and  Protestants,  have  disgraced  Christianity.  The  Sonnites  are 
distinguished  by  white,  the  Schiites  by  red  turbans;  hence  the  latter  have 
received  from  their  antagonists  the  appellation  of  Kussilbachi,  or  Red 
Heads. 

It  is  remarkable  that  circumcision,  which  is  invariably  practiced  by  thb 
Mahometans,  and  forms  a  distinguishing  rite  of  their  faith,  to  which  all 
proselytes  must  conform,  is  neither  mentioned  in  the  Koran  nor  the 
Sonna.  It  seems  to  have  been  a  general  usage  in  Arabia,  tacitly  adopted 
from  the  Jews,  and  is  even  said  to  have  been  prevalent  throughout  the 
East  before  the  time  of  Moses. 

It  is  said  that  the  Koran  forbids  the  making  likenesses  of  any  living 
thing,  which  has  prevented  the  introduction  of  portrait-painting  among 
Mahometans.  The  passage  of  the  Koran,  however,  which  is  thought  to 
contain  the  prohibition,  seems  merely  an  echo  of  the  second  command- 
ment, held  sacred  by  Jews  and  Christians,  not  to  form  images  or  pictures 
for  worship.  One  of  Mahomet's  standards  was  a  black  eagle.  Among 
the  most  distinguished  Moslem  ornaments  of  the  Alhambra  at  Granada  is 
a  fountain  supported  by  lions  carved  of  stone,  and  some  Moslem  monarchs 
have  had  their  effigies  stamped  on  their  coins. 

Another  and  an  important  mistake  with  regard  to  the  system  of  Ma- 
homet, is  the  idea  that  it  denies  souls  to  the  female  sex,  and  excludes  them 


FAITH  OF  ISLAM.  353 

from  paradise.  This  error  arises  from  his  omitting  to  mention  their  en- 
joyments in  a  future  state,  while  he  details  those  of  his  own  sex  with  the 
minuteness  of  a  voluptuary.  The  beatification  of  virtuous  females  is  al- 
luded to  in  the  56th  Sura  of  the  Koran,  and  also  in  other  places,  although 
from  the  vagueness  of  the  language  a  cursory  reader  might  suppose  the 
houris  of  paradise  to  be  intended. 

The  fourth  article  of  faith  relates  to  the  prophets.  Their  number 
amounts  to  two  hundred  thousand,  but  only  six  are  super-eminent,  as 
having  brought  new  laws  and  dispensations  upon  earth,  each  abrogating 
those  previously  received  wherever  they  varied  or  were  contradictory. 
These  six  distinguished  prophets  were  Adam,  Noah,  Abraham,  Moses, 
Jesus,  and  Mahomet. 

The  fifth  article  of  Islam  faith  is  on  the  resurrection  and  the  final 
judgment.  On  this  awful  subject  Mahomet  blended  some  of  the  Chris- 
tian belief  with  certain  notions  current  among  the  Arabian  Jews.  One 
of  the  latter  is  the  fearful  tribunal  of  the  Sepulchre.  When  Azrail,  the 
angel  of  death,  has  performed  his  office,  and  the  corpse  has  been  consigned 
to  the  tomb,  two  black  angels,  Munkar  and  Nakeer,  of  dismal  and  ap- 
palling aspect,  present  themselves  as  inquisitors  ;  during  whose  scrutiny 
the  soul  is  reunited  to  the  body.  The  defunct,  being  commanded  to  sit 
up,  is  interrogated  as  to  the  two  great  points  of  faith,  the  unity  of  God 
and  the  divine  mission  of  Mahomet,  and  likewise  as  to  the  deeds  done  by 
him  during  life  ;  and  his  replies  are  recorded  in  books  against  the  day 
of  judgment.  Should  they  be  satisfactory,  Ms  soul  is  gently  drawn 
forth  from  his  lips,  and  his  body  left  to  its  repose  ;  should  they  be  other- 
wise, he  is  beaten,  about  the  brows  with  iron  clubs,  and  his  soul  wrenched 
forth  with  racking  tortures.  For  the  convenience  of  this  awful  inquisi- 
tion, the  Mahometans  generally  deposit  their  dead  in  hollow  or  vaulted 
sepulchres  ;  merely  wrapped  in  funeral  clothes,  but  not  placed  in  coffins. 

The  space  of  time  between  death  and  resurrection  is  called  Berzak, 
or  the  Interval.  During  this  period  the  body  rests  in  the  grave,  but  the 
soul  has  a  foretaste,  in  dreams  or  visions,  of  its  future  doom. 

The  souls  of  prophets  are  admitted  at  once  into  the  full  fruition  of  par* 
adise.  Those  of  martyrs,  including  all  who  die  in  battle,  enter  into  the 
vol.  i.—  23 


354  APPENDIX. 

bodies  or  crops  of  green  bhds,  who  feed  on  the  fruits  and  drink  of  the 
streams  of  paradise.  Those  of  the  great  mass  of  true  believers  are  vari- 
ously disposed  of,  but,  according  to  the  most  received  opinion,  they 
hover,  in  a  state  of  seraphic  tranquillity,  near  the  tombs.  Hence  the 
Moslem  usage  of  visiting  the  graves  of  their  departed  friends  and  rela- 
tives, in  the  idea  that  their  souls  are  the  gratified  witnesses  of  these  tes- 
timonials of  affection. 

Many  Moslems  believe  that  the  souls  of  the  truly  faithful  assume  the 
forms  of  snow-white  birds,  and  nestle  beneath  the  throne  of  Allah  ;  a 
belief  in  accordance  with  an  ancient  superstition  of  the  Hebrews  that  the 
souls  of  the  just  will  have  a  place  in  heaven  under  the  throne  of  glory. 

With  regard  to  the  souls  of  infidels,  the  most  orthodox  opinion  is  that 
they  will  be  repulsed  by  angels  both  from  heaven  and  earth,  and  cast 
into  the  cavernous  bowels  of  the  earth,  there  to  await  in  tribulation  the 
day  of  judgment. 

The  day  of  resurrection  will  be  preceded  by  signs  and  portents  in 
heaven  and  earth.  A  total  eclipse  of  the  moon  ;  a  change  in  the  course 
of  the  sun,  rising  in  the  west  instead  of  the  east ;  wars  and  tumults  ;  a 
universal  decay  of  faith;  the  advent  of  Antichrist;  the  issuing  forth  of 
Gog  and  Magog  to  desolate  the  world  ;  a  great  smoke,  covering  the  whole 
earth  :  these  and  many  more  prodigies  and  omens  affrighting  and  har- 
assing the  souls  of  men,  and  producing  a  wretchedness  of  spirit  and  a 
weariness  of  life  ;  insomuch  that  a  man  passing  by  a  grave  shall  envy 
the  quiet  dead,  and  say,  "  Would  to  God  I  were  in  thy  place  ! " 

The  last  dread  signal  of  the  awful  day  will  be  the  blast  of  a  trumpet  by 
the  archangel  Izrafil.  At  the  sound  thereof  the  earth  will  tremble  ;  cas- 
tles and  towers  will  be  shaken  to  the  ground,  and  mountains  leveled  with 
the  plains.  The  face  of  heaven  will  be  darkened  ;  the  firmament  will 
melt  away,  and  the  sun,  the  moon,  and  stars  will  fall  into  the  sea.  The 
ocean  will  be  either  dried  up,  or  will  boil  and  roll  in  fiery  billows. 

At  the  sound  of  that  dreadful  trump  a  panic  will  fall  on  the  human 
race  ;  men  will  fly  from  their  brothers,  their  parents,  and  their  wives  ; 
and  mothers,  in  frantic  terror  abandon  the  infant  at  the  breast.  The 
savage  beasts  of  the  forests,  and  the  tame  animals  of  the  pasture,  wil/ 


FAITH  OF  ISLAM.  355 

forget  their  fierceness    and    their    antipathies,   and    herd    together   in 
affright. 

The  second  blast  of  the  trumpet  is  the  blast  of  extermination.  At  that 
sound,  all  creatures  in  heaven  and  on  earth  and  in  the  waters  under  the 
earth,  angels  and  genii,  and  men  and  animals,  all  will  die;  excepting  the 
chosen  few  especially  reserved  by  Allah.  The  last  to  die  will  be  Azrail 
the  angel  of  death ! 

Forty  days,  or,  according  to  explanations,  forty  years  of  continued 
rain  will  follow  this  blast  of  extermination ;  then  will  be  sounded  for  the 
third  time  the  trumpet  of  the  archangel  Izrafil;  it  is  the  call  of  judg- 
ment! At  the  sound  of  this  blast,  the  whole  space  between  heaven  and 
earth  will  be  filled  with  the  souls  of  the  dead  flying  in  quest  of  their  re- 
spective bodies.  Then  the  earth  will  open ;  and  there  will  be  a  rattling 
of  dry  bones,  and  a  gathering  together  of  scattered  limbs ;  the  very  hairs 
will  congregate  together,  and  the  whole  body  be  reunited,  and  the  soul 
will  reenter  it,  and  the  dead  will  rise  from  mutilation,  perfect  in  every 
part,  and  naked  as  when  born.  The  infidels  will  grovel  with  their  faces 
on  the  earth,  but  the  faithful  will  walk  erect ;  as  to  the  truly  pious,  they 
will  be  borne  aloft  on  winged  camels,  white  as  milk,  with  saddles  of  fine 
gold. 

Every  human  being  will  then  be  put  upon  his  trial  as  to  the  manner  in 
which  he  has  employed  his  faculties,  and  the  good  and  evil  actions  of  his 
life.  A  mighty  balance  will  be  poised  by  the  angel  Gabriel :  in  one  of 
these  scales,  termed  Light,  will  be  placed  his  good  actions  ;  in  the  other, 
termed  Darkness,  his  evil  deeds.  An  atom  or  a  grain  of  mustard-seed 
will  suffice  to  turn  this  balance,  and  the  nature  of  the  sentence  will  de- 
pend on  the  preponderance  of  either  scale.  At  that  moment  retribution 
will  be  exacted  for  every  wrong  and  injury.  He  who  has  wronged  a  fel- 
low-mortal will  have  to  repay  him  with  a  portion  of  his  own  good  deeds, 
or,  if  he  have  none  to  boast  of,  will  have  to  take  upon  himself  a  propor- 
tionate weight  of  the  other's  sins. 

The  trial  of  the  balance  will  be  succeeded  by  the  ordeal  of  the  bridge. 
The  whole  assembled  multitude  will  have  to  follow  Mahomet  across  the 
bridge  Al  Serat,  as  fine  as  the  edge  of  a  scimetar,  which  crosses  the  guli 


356  APPENDIX. 

of  Jehennam  or  Hell.  Infidels  and  sinful  Moslems  will  grope  along  it 
darkling  and  fall  into  the  abyss  ;  but  the  faithful,  aided  by  a  beaming 
light,  will  cross  with  the  swiftness  of  birds  and  enter  the  realms  of  paradise. 
The  idea  of  this  bridge,  and  of  the  dreary  realm  of  Jehennam,  is  supposed 
to  have  been  derived  partly  from  the  Jews,  but  chiefly  from  the  Magians. 

Jehennam  is  a  region  fraught  with  all  kinds  of  horrors.  The  verj 
trees  have  writhing  serpents  for  branches,  bearing  for  fruit  the  heads  of 
demons.  We  forbear  to  dwell  upon  the  particulars  of  this  dismal  abode, 
which  are  given  with  painful  and  often  disgusting  minuteness.  It  is 
described  as  consisting  of  seven  stages,  one  below  the  other,  and  varying 
in  the  nature  and  intensity  of  torment.  The  first  stage  is  allotted  to 
Atheists,  who  deny  creator  and  creation,  and  believe  the  world  to  be 
eternal.  The  second  for  Manicheans  and  others  that  admit  two  divin* 
principles  ;  and  for  the  Arabian  idolaters  of  the  era  of  Mahomet.  The 
third  is  for  the  Brahmins  of  India  ;  the  fourth  for  the  Jews  ;  the  fifth 
for  Christians  ;  the  sixth  for  the  Magians  or  Ghebers  of  Persia  ;  the 
seventh  for  hypocrites,  who  profess  without  believing  in  religion. 

The  fierce  angel  Thabeck,  that  is  to  say,  the  Executioner,  presides  over 
this  region  of  terror. 

We  must  observe  that  the  general  nature  of  Jehennam,  and  the  dis- 
tribution of  its  punishments,  have  given  rise  to  various  commentaries  and 
expositions  among  the  Moslem  doctors.  It  is  maintained  by  some,  and  it 
is  a  popular  doctrine,  that  none  of  the  believers  in  Allah  and  his  prophets 
will  be  condemned  to  eternal  punishment.  Their  sins  will  be  expiated 
by  proportionate  periods  of  suffering,  varying  from  nine  hundred  to  nine 
thousand  years. 

Some  of  the  most  humane  among  the  doctors  contend  against  eternity 
of  punishment  to  any  class  of  sinners,  saying  that,  as  God  is  all  merciful, 
even  infidels  will  eventually  be  pardoned.  Those  who  have  an  inter- 
cessor, as  the  Christians  have  in  Jesus  Christ,  will  be  first  redeemed.  The 
liberality  of  these  worthy  commentators,  however,  does  not  extend  so  fai 
as  to  admit  them  into  paradise  among  true  believers  ;  but  concludes  that, 
after  long  punishment,  they  will  be  relieved  from  their  torments  by  an« 
nihilation. 


FAITH  OF  ISLAM.  357 

Between  Jehennam  and  paradise  is  Al  Araf  or  the  Partition,  a  region 
destitute  of  peace  or  pleasure,  destined  for  the  reception  of  infants,  luna- 
tics, idiots,  and  such  other  beings  as  have  done  neither  good  nor  evil. 
For  such,  too,  whose  good  and  evil  deeds  balance  each  other  ;  though 
these  may  be  admitted  to  paradise  through  the  intercession  of  Mahomet, 
on  performing  an  act  of  adoration,  to  turn  the  scales  in  their  favor.  It 
is  said  that  the  tenants  of  this  region  can  converse  with  their  neighbors 
on  either  hand,  the  blessed  and  the  condemned:  and  that  Al  Araf  ap- 
pears a  paradise  to  those  in  hell,  and  a  hell  to  those  in  paradise. 

Al  Jannat,  or  the  Garden. — When  the  true  believer  has  passed 
through  all  his  trials,  and  expiated  all  his  sins,  he  refreshes  himself  at  the 
pool  of  the  Prophet.  This  is  a  lake  of  fragrant  water,  a  month's  journey 
in  circuit,  fed  by  the  river  Al  Cauther,  which  flows  from  paradise.  The 
water  of  this  lake  is  sweet  as  honey,  cold  as  snow,  and  clear  as  crystal ;  he 
who  once  tastes  of  it  will  never  more  be  tormented  by  thirst ;  a  blessing 
dwelt  upon  with  peculiar  zest  by  Arabian  writers,  accustomed  to  the 
parching  thirst  of  the  desert. 

After  the  true  believer  has  drunk  of  this  water  of  life,  the  gate  of  par- 
adise is  open  to  him  by  the  angel  Rush  van.  The  same  prolixity  and 
minuteness  which  occur  in  the  description  of  Jehennam,  are  lavished  on 
the  delights  of  paradise,  until  the  imagination  is  dazzled  and  confused  by 
the  details.  The  soil  is  of  the  finest  wheaten  flour,  fragrant  with  per- 
fumes, and  strewed  with  pearls  and  hyacinths  instead  of  sands  and  peb- 
bles. 

Some  of  the  streams  are  of  crystal  purity,  running  between  green  banks 
enamelled  with  flowers ;  others  are  of  milk,  of  wine  and  honey ;  flowing 
over  beds  of  musk,  between  margins  of  camphire,  covered  with  moss  and 
saffron  !  The  air  is  sweeter  than  the  spicy  gales  of  Sabea,  and  cooled  by 
sparkling  fountains.  Here,  too,  is  Taba,  the  wonderful  tree  of  life,  so 
large  that  a  fleet  horse  would  need  a  hundred  years  to  cross  its  shade. 
The  boughs  are  laden  with  every  variety  of  delicious  fruit,  and  bend  to 
the  hand  of  those  who  seek  to  gather. 

Tne  inhabitants  of  this  blissful  garden  are  clothed  in  raiment  sparkling 
with  jewels;  they  wear  crowns  of  gold  enriched  with  pearls  and  diamonds. 


358  APPENDIX. 

and  dwell  in  sumptuous  palaces  or  silken  pavilions,  reclining  on  voluptu- 
ous couches.  Here  every  believer  will  have  hundreds  of  attendants, 
bearing  dishes  and  goblets  of  gold,  to  serve  him  with  every  variety  of  ex- 
quisite viand  and  beverage.  He  will  eat  without  satiety,  and  drink  with- 
out inebriation ;  the  last  morsel  and  the  last  drop  will  be  equally  relished 
with  the  first ;  he  will  feel  no  repletion,  and  need  no  evacuation. 

The  air  will  resound  with  the  melodious  voice  of  Izrafil,  and  the  songs 
of  the  daughters  of  paradise ;  the  very  rustling  of  the  trees  will  produce 
ravishing  harmony,  while  myriads  of  bells,  hanging  among  their  branches, 
will  be  put  in  dulcet  motion  by  airs  from  the  throne  of  Allah. 

Above  all,  the  faithful  will  be  blessed  with  female  society  to  the  full 
extent  even  of  oriental  imaginings.  Beside  the  wives  he  had  on  earth, 
who  will  rejoin  him  in  all  their  pristine  charms,  he  will  be  attended  by 
the  Hur  al  Oyun  or  Houris,  so  called  from  their  large  black  eyes  ;  re- 
splendent beings,  free  from  every  human  defect  or  frailty;  perpetually 
retaining  their  youth  and  beauty,  and  renewing  their  virginity.  Seventy- 
two  of  these  are  allotted  to  every  believer.  The  intercourse  with  them 
will  be  fruitful  or  not  according  to  their  wish,  and  the  offspring  will 
grow  within  an  hour  to  the  same  stature  with  the  parents. 

That  the  true  believer  will  be  fully  competent  to  the  enjoyments  of  this 
blissful  region,  he  will  rise  from  the  grave  in  the  prime  of  manhood,  at 
the  age  of  thirty,  oj.  the  stature  of  Adam,  which  was  thirty  cubits ;  with 
all  his  faculties  improved  to  a  state  of  preternatural  perfection,  with  the 
abilities  of  a  hundred  men,  and  with  desires  and  appetites  quickened 
rather  than  sated  by  enjoyment. 

These  and  similar  delights  are  promised  to  the  meanest  of  the  faithful ; 
there  are  gradations  of  enjoyment,  however,  as  of  merit ;  but,  as  to  those 
prepared  for  the  most  deserving,  Mahomet  found  the  powers  of  descrip- 
tion exhausted,  and  was  fain  to  make  use  of  the  text  from  Scripture, 
that  they  should  be  such  things  "as  eye  hath  not  seen,  ear  hath  not 
heard,  neither  hath  it  entered  into  the  heart  of  man  to  conceive." 

The  expounders  of  the  Mahometan  law  differ  in  their  opinions  as  to 
the  whole  meaning  of  this  system  of  rewards  and  punishments.  One  set 
understanding  everything  in  a  figurative,  the  other  in  a  literal 


FAITH  OF  ISLAM.  359 

The  former  insist  that  the  prophet  spake  in  parable,  in  a  manner  suited 
to  the  coarse  perceptions  and  sensual  natures  of  his  hearers  ;  and  main- 
tain  that  the  joys  of  heaven  will  be  mental  as  well  as  corporeal;  the 
resurrection  being  of  both  soul  and  body.  The  soul  will  revel  in  a  super- 
natural development  and  employment  of  all  its  faculties  ;  in  a  knowledge 
of  all  the  arcana  of  nature  ;  the  full  revelation  of  everything  past,  pres* 
ent,  and  to  come.  The  enjoyments  of  the  body  will  be  equally  suited  to 
its  various  senses,  and  perfected  to  a  supernatural  degree. 

The  same  expounders  regard  the  description  of  Jehennam  as  equally 
figurative ;  the  torments  of  the  soul  consisting  in  the  anguish  of  perpet- 
ual remorse  for  past  crimes,  and  deep  and  ever-increasing  despair  for  the 
loss  of  heaven ;  those  of  the  body  in  excruciating  and  never-ending  pain. 

The  other  doctors,  who  construe  everything  in  a  literal  sense,  are  con- 
sidered the  most  orthodox,  and  their  sect  is  beyond  measure  the  most 
numerous.  Most  of  the  particulars  in  the  system  of  rewards  and  punish- 
ments, as  has  been  already  observed,  have  close  affinity  to  the  super- 
stitions of  the  Magians  and  the  Jewish  Rabbins.  The  Houri,  or  black- 
eyed  nymphs,  who  figure  so  conspicuously  in  the  Moslem's  paradise,  are 
said  to  be  the  same  as  the  Huram  Behest  of  the  Persian  Magi,  and  Ma- 
homet is  accused  by  Christian  investigators  of  having  purloined  much  of 
his  description  of  heaven  from  the  account  of  the  New  Jerusalem  in  the 
Apocalypse  ;  with  such  variation  as  is  used  by  knavish  jewellers,  when 
they  appropriate  stolen  jewels  to  their  own  use. 

The  sixth  and  last  article  of  the  Islam  faith  is  Predestination,  and  on 
this  Mahomet  evidently  reposed  his  chief  dependence  for  the  success  of 
his  military  enterprises.  He  inculcated  that  every  event  had  been  pre- 
determined by  God,  and  written  down  in  the  eternal  tablet  previous  to 
the  creation  of  the  world.  That  the  destiny  of  every  individual,  and  the 
hour  of  his  death,  were  irrevocably  fixed,  and  could  neither  be  varied  nor 
evaded  by  any  effort  of  human  sagacity  or  foresight.  Under  this  per- 
suasion, the  Moslems  engaged  in  battle  without  risk  ;  and,  as  death  in 
battle  was  equivalent  to  martyrdom,  and  entitled  them  to  an  iff  'uediata 
admission  into  paradise,  they  had  in  either  alternative,  death  or  f  *toryf 
a  certainty  of  gain. 


360  APPENDIX. 

This  doctrine,  according  to  which  men  by  their  own  free  will  can 
neither  avoid  sin  nor  avert  punishment,  is  considered  by  many  Mussul- 
men  as  derogatory  to  the  justice  and  clemency  of  God  ;  and  several  sect* 
have  sprung  up,  who  endeavor  to  soften  and  explain  away  this  perplex- 
ing dogma  ;  but  the  number  of  these  doubters  is  small,  and  they  are  not 
considered  orthodox. 

The  doctrine  of  Predestination  was  one  of  those  timely  revelations  to 
Mahomet,  that  were  almost  miraculous  from  their  seasonable  occurrence. 
It  took  place  immediately  after  the  disastrous  battle  of  Ohod,  in  which 
many  of  his  followers,  and  among  them  his  uncle  Hamza,  were  slain. 
Then  it  was,  in  a  moment  of  gloom  and  despondency,  when  his  followers 
around  him  were  disheartened,  that  he  promulgated  this  law,  telling 
them  that  every  man  must  die  at  the  appointed  hour,  whether  in  bed  or 
in  the  field  of  battle.  He  declared,  moreover,  that  the  angel  Gabriel  had 
announced  to  him  the  reception  of  Hamza  into  the  seventh  heaven,  with 
the  title  of  Lion  of  God  and  of  the  prophet.  He  added,  as  he  contem- 
plated the  dead  bodies,  "I  am  witness  for  these,  and  for  all  who  have 
been  slain  for  the  cause  of  God,  and  they  shall  appear  in  glory  at  the 
resurrection,  with  their  wounds  brilliant  as  vermilion  and  odoriferous  as 
musk." 

What  doctrine  could  have  been  devised  more  calculated  to  hurry  for- 
ward, in  a  wild  career  of  conquest,  a  set  of  ignorant  and  predatory  soldiers, 
than  this  assurance  of  booty  if  they  survived,  and  paradise  if  they  fell  ?* 
It  rendered  almost  irresistible  the  Moslem  arms  ;  but  it  likewise  con- 
tained the  poison  that  was  to  destroy  their  dominion.  From  the  moment 
the  successors  of  the  Prophet  ceased  to  be  aggressors  and  conquerors,  and 
sheathed  the  sword  definitely,  the  doctrine  of  predestination  began  its 
baneful  work.  Enervated  by  peace,  and  the  sensuality  permitted  by  the 
Koran, — which  so  distinctly  separates  its  doctrines  from  the  pure  and 
self-denying  religion  of  the  Messiah,— the  Moslem  regarded  every  reverse 
as  preordained  by  Allah,  and  inevitable  ;  to  be  borne  stoically,  since  hu- 
man exertion  and  foresight  were  vain.     "  Help  thyself  and  God  will  help 

*  The  reader  may  recollect  that  a  belief  in  predestination  or  destiny  was  encourage4 
by  Napoleon,  and  had  much  influence  on  his  troops. 


FAITH  OF  ISLAM.  361 

thee, "  was  a  precept  never  in  force  with  the  followers  of  Mahomet,  and 
its  reverse  has  been  their  fate.  The  crescent  has  waned  before  the  cross, 
and  exists  in  Europe,  where  it  was  once  so  mighty,  only  by  the  suffrage, 
or  rather  the  jealousy  of  the  great  Christian  powers,  probably  ere  long 
to  furnish  another  illustration,  that  "  they  that  take  the  sword  shall  per- 
ish  with  the  sword." 

RELIGIOUS  PRACTICE. 

The  articles  of  religious  practice  are  fourfold :  Prayer,  including  ablu. 
tion,  Alms,  Fasting,  Pilgrimage. 

Ablution  is  enjoined  as  preparative  to  prayer,  purity  of  body  being 
considered  emblematical  of  purity  of  soul.  It  is  prescribed  in  the  Koran 
with  curious  precision.  The  face,  arms,  elbows,  feet,  and  a  fourth  part 
of  the  head,  to  be  washed  once  ;  the  hands,  mouth,  and  nostrils,  three 
times  ;  the  ears  to  be  moistened  with  the  residue  of  the  water  used  for  the 
head,  and  the  teeth  to  be  cleaned  with  a  brush.  The  ablution  to  com- 
mence on  the  right  and  terminate  on  the  left;  in  washing  the  hands  and 
feet  to  begin  with  the  fingers  and  toes  ;  where  water  is  not  to  be  had,  fine 
sand  may  be  used. 

Prayer  is  to  be  performed  five  times  every  day,  namely,  the  first  in  the 
morning  before  sunrise  ;  the  second  at  noon  ;  the  third  in  the  afternoon 
before  sunset ;  the  fourth  in  the  evening  between  sunset  and  dark  ;  the 
fifth  between  twilight  and  the  first  watch,  being  the  vesper  prayer.  A 
sixth  prayer  is  volunteered  by  many  between  the  first  watch  of  the  night 
and  the  dawn  of  day.  These  prayers  are  but  repetitions  of  the  same 
laudatory  ejaculation,  "  God  is  great !  God  is  powerful !  God  is  all  power- 
ful ! "  and  are  counted  by  the  scrupulous  upon  a  string  of  beads.  They 
may  be  performed  at  the  mosque,  or  in  any  clean  place.  During  prayer 
the  eyes  are  turned  to  the  Kebla,  or  point  of  the  heaven  in  the  direction 
of  Mecca  ;  which  is  indicated  in  every  mosque  by  a  niche  called  Al 
Mehrab,  and  externally  by  the  position  of  the  minarets  and  doors.  Even 
the  postures  to  be  observed  in  prayer  are  prescribed,  and  the  most  solemn 
act  of  adoration  is  by  bowing  the  forehead  to  the  ground.  Females  in 
prayer  are  not  to  stretch  forth  their  arms,  but  to  fold  them  on  their 


362  APPENDIX. 

Dosoms.  They  are  not  to  make  as  profound  inflections  as  the  men.  They 
are  to  pray  in  a  low  and  gentle  tone  of  voice.  They  are  not  permitted  to 
accompany  the  men  to  the  mosque,  lest  the  minds  of  the  worshippers 
should  be  drawn  from  their  devotions.  In  addressing  themselves  to  God, 
the  faithful  are  enjoined  to  do  so  with  humility  ;  putting  aside  costly 
ornaments  and  sumptuous  apparel. 

Many  of  the  Mahometan  observances  with  respect  to  prayer  were  similar 
to  those  previously  maintained  by  the  Sabeans  ;  others  agreed  with  the 
ceremonials  prescribed  by  the  Jewish  Rabbins.  Such  were  the  postures, 
inflections  and  prostrations  and  the  turning  of  the  face  towards  the 
Kebla,  which,  however,  with  the  Jews  was  in  the  direction  of  the  temple 
at  Jerusalem. 

Prayer,  with  the  Moslem,  is  a  daily  exercise ;  but  on  Friday  there  is  a 
sermon  in  the  mosque.  This  day  was  generally  held  sacred  among 
oriental  nations  as  the  day  on  which  man  was  created.  The  Sabean 
idolaters  consecrated  it  to  Astarte,  or  Venus,  the  most  beautiful  of  the 
planets  and  brightest  of  the  stars.  Mahomet  adopted  it  as  his  Sabbath, 
partly  perhaps  from  early  habitude,  but  chiefly  to  vary  from  the  Saturday 
of  the  Jews  and  Sunday  of  the  Christians. 

The  second  article  of  religious  practice  is  Charity,  or  the  giving  ot 
alms.  There  are  two  kinds  of  alms,  namely,  those  prescribed  by  law, 
called  Zacat,  like  tithes  in  the  Christian  church,  to  be  made  in  specified 
proportions,  whether  in  money,  wares,  cattle,  corn,  or  fruit ;  and  volun- 
tary gifts  termed  Sadakat,  made  at  the  discretion  of  the  giver.  Every 
Moslem  is  enjoined,  in  one  way  or  the  other,  to  dispense  a  tenth  of  his 
revenue  in  relief  of  the  indigent  and  distressed. 

The  third  article  of  practice  is  Fasting,  also  supposed  to  have  been 
derived  from  the  Jews.  In  each  year  for  thirty  days,  during  the  month 
Rhamadan,  the  true  believer  is  to  abstain  rigorously  from  the  rising  to 
the  setting  of  the  sun,  from  meat  and  drink,  baths,  perfumes,  the  inter- 
course of  the  sexes,  and  all  other  gratifications  and  delights  of  the  senses. 
This  is  considered  a  great  triumph  of  self-denial,  mortifying  and  sub- 
duing the  several  appetites,  and  purifying  both  body  and  soul.  Of  these 
three  articles  of  practice  the  Prince  Abdalasis  used  to  say,  "Prayer  leads 


FAITH  OF  ISLAM.  363 

us  half-way  to  God,  fasting  conveys  us  to  his  threshold,  but  alms  conducts 
us  into  his  presence." 

Pilgrimage  is  the  fourth  grand  practical  duty  enjoined  upon  Moslems. 
Every  true  believer  is  bound  to  make  one  pilgrimage  to  Mecca  in  the 
course  of  his  life,  either  personally  or  by  proxy.  In  the  latter  case,  his 
name  must  be  mentioned  in  every  prayer  offered  up  by  his  substitute. 

Pilgrimage  is  incumbent  only  on  free  persons  of  mature  age,  sound 
intellect,  and  who  have  health  and  wealth  enough  to  bear  the  fatigue  and 
expenses  of  the  journey.  The  pilgrim,  before  his  departure  from  home, 
arranges  all  his  affairs,  public  and  domestic,  as  if  preparing  for  his  death. 

On  the  appointed  day,  which  is  either  Tuesday,  Thursday,  or  Saturday, 
as  being  propitious  for  the  purpose,  he  assembles  his  wives,  children,  and 
all  his  household,  and  devoutly  commends  them  and  all  his  concerns  to 
the  care  of  God  during  his  holy  enterprise.  Then  passing  one  end  of  his 
turban  beneath  his  chin  to  the  opposite  side  of  his  head,  like  the  attire  of 
a  nun,  and  grasping  a  stout  staff  of  bitter  almonds,  he  takes  leave  of  his 
household,  and  sallies  from  the  apartment,  exclaiming,  "In  the  name  of 
God  I  undertake  this  holy  work,  confiding  in  his  protection.  I  behave  in 
him,  and  place  in  his  hands  my  actions  and  my  life." 

On  leaving  the  portal  he  turns  his  face  toward  the  Kebla,  repeats  cer- 
tain passages  of  the  Koran,  and  adds,  "  I  turn  my  face  to  the  Holy  Caaba, 
the  throne  of  God,  to  accomplish  the  pilgrimage  commanded  by  his  law, 
and  which  shall  draw  me  near  to  him." 

He  finally  puts  his  foot  in  the  stirrup,  mounts  into  the  saddle,  com- 
mends himself  again  to  God,  almighty,  all  wise,  all  merciful,  and  sets 
forth  on  his  pilgrimage.  The  time  of  departure  is  always  calculated  so 
as  to  insure  an  arrival  at  Mecca  at  the  beginning  of  the  pilgrim  month 
Dhu'l-hajji. 

Three  laws  are  to  be  observed  throughout  this  pious  journey  :— 

1.  To  commence  no  quarrel. 

2.  To  bear  meekly  all  harshness  and  reviling. 

3.  To  promote  peace  and  good-will  among  his  companions  in  the  caravan. 
He  is,  moreover,  to  be  liberal  in  his  donations  and  charities  throughout 

his  pilgrimage. 


364  APPENDIX. 

When  arrived  at  some  place  in  the  vicinity  of  Mecca,  he  allocs  his  hail 
and  nails  to  grow,  strips  himself  to  the  skin,  and  assumes  the  Ihram  or 
pilgrim  garb,  consisting  of  two  scarfs,  without  seams  or  decorations,  and 
of  any  stuff  excepting  silk.  One  of  these  is  folded  round  the  loins,  the 
other  thrown  over  the  neck  and  shoulders,  leaving  the  right  arm  free. 
The  head  is  uncovered,  but  the  aged  and  infirm  are  permitted  to  fold 
something  round  it  in  consideration  of  alms  given  to  the  poor.  Umbrel- 
las are  allowed  as  a  protection  against  the  sun,  and  indigent  pilgrims  sup- 
ply their  place  by  a  rag  on  the  end  of  a  staff. 

The  instep  must  be  bare  ;  and  peculiar  sandals  are  provided  for  the 
purpose,  or  a  piece  of  the  upper  leather  of  the  shoe  is  cut  out.  The  pil- 
grim, when  thus  attired,  is  termed  Al  Mohrem. 

The  Ihram  of  females  is  an  ample  cloak  and  veil,  enveloping  the  whole 
person,  so  that,  in  strictness,  the  wrists,  the  ankles,  and  even  the  eyes 
should  be  concealed. 

When  once  assumed,  the  Ihram  must  be  worn  until  the  pilgrimage  is 
completed,  however  unsuited  it  may  be  to  the  season  or  the  weather. 
While  wearing  it,  the  pilgrim  must  abstain  from  all  licentiousness  of  lan- 
guage ;  all  sensual  intercourse  ;  all  quarrels  and  acts  of  violence  ;  he 
must  not  even  take  the  life  of  an  insect  that  infests  him  ;  though  an  ex- 
ception is  made  in  regard  to  biting  dogs,  to  scorpions,  and  birds  of  prey. 

On  arriving  at  Mecca,  he  leaves  his  baggage  in  some  shop,  and,  with- 
out attention  to  any  worldly  concern,  repairs  straightway  to  the  Caaba, 
conducted  by  one  of  the  Metowefs  or  guides,  who  are  always  at  hand  to 
offer  their  services  to  pilgrims. 

Entering  the  mosque  by  the  Bab  el  Salam,  or  Gate  of  Salutation,  he 
makes  four  prostrations,  and  repeats  certain  prayers  as  he  passes  under 
the  arch.  Approaching  the  Caaba,  he  makes  four  prostrations,  opposite 
the  Black  Stone,  which  he  then  kisses  ;  or,  if  prevented  by  the  throng,  he 
touches  it  with  his  right  hand,  and  kisses  that.  Departing  from  the 
Black  Stone,  and  keeping  the  building  on  his  left  hand,  he  makes  the 
seven  circuits,  the  three  first  quickly,  the  latter  four  with  slow  and  solemn 
pace.  Certain  prayers  are  repeated  in  a  low  voice,  and  the  Black  Ston* 
kissed,  or  touched,  at  the  end  of  every  circuit. 


FAITH  OF  ISLAM.  365 

The  Towaf,  or  procesrion  round  the  Caaba,  was  an  ancient  ceremony, 
observed  long  before  the  time  of  Mahomet,  and  performed  by  both  sexes 
entirely  naked.  Mahomet  prohibited  this  exposure,  and  prescribed  the 
Ihram  or  pilgrim  dress.  The  female  Hajji  walk  the  Towaf  generally 
during  the  night ;  though  occasionally  they  perform  i  mingled  with  the 
men  in  the  daytime.* 

The  seven  circuits  being  completed,  the  pilgrim  presses  his  breast 
against  the  wall  between  the  Black  Stone  and  the  door  of  the  Caaba,  and 
with  outstretched  arms,  prays  for  pardon  of  his  siDS. 

He  then  repairs  to  the  Makam,  or  station  of  Abraham,  makes  four 
prostrations,  prays  for  the  intermediation  of  the  Patriarch,  and  thence  to 
the  well  Zem  Zem,  and  drinks  as  much  of  the  water  as  he  can  swallow. 

During  all  this  ceremonial,  the  uninstructed  Hajji  has  his  guide  or  Me- 
towef  close  at  his  heels,  muttering  prayers  for  him  to  repeat.  He  is 
)iow  conducted  out  of  the  mosque  by  the  gate  Bab  el  Zafa,  to  a  slight  as- 
cent about  fifty  paces  distant,  called  the  Hill  of  Zafa,  when,  after  utter- 
ing a  prayer  with  uplifted  hands,  he  commences  the  holy  promenade, 
called  the  Saa  or  Say.  This  lies  through  a  straight  and  level  street 
called  Al  Messa,  six  hundred  paces  in  length,  lined  with  shops  like  a 
bazaar,  and  terminating  at  a  place  Called  Merowa.  The  walk  of  the 
Say  is  in  commemoration  of  the  wandering  of  Hagar  over  the  same 
ground,  in  search  of  water  for  her  child  Ishmael.  The  pilgrim,  there- 
fore, walks  at  times  slowly,  with  an  inquisitive  air,  then  runs  in  a  cer- 
tain place,  and  again  walks  gravely,  stopping  at  times  and  looking  anx- 
iously back. 

Having  repeated  the  walk  up  and  down  this  street  seven  times,  the 
Hajji  enters  a  barber's  shop  at  Merowa  ;  his  head  is  shaved,  his  nails 
pared,  the  barber  muttering  prayers  and  the  pilgrim  repeating  them  all 
the  time.  The  paring  and  shearing  are  then  buried  in  consecrated 
ground,  and  the  most  essential  duties  of  the  pilgrimage  are  considered  as 
fulfilled.! 

*  Bnrckhardt's  Travels  in  Arabia,  vol.  i.  p.  260,  Lond.  ed.  1829. 

t  The  greater  part  of  the  particulars  concerning  Mecca  and  Medina,  and  tn«ir  respeo 
tire  pilgrimages,  are  gathered  from  the  writings  of  that  accurate  and  indefatigable  trav- 


366  APPENDIX. 

On  the  ninth  of  the  month  Al  Dhu'l-hajji,  the  pilgrims  make  a  hurried 
and  tumultuous  visit  to  Arafat,  where  they  remain  until  sunset ;  then 
pass  the  night  in  prayer  at  an  Oratory,  called  Mozdalifa,  and  before  sun- 
rise next  morning  repair  to  the  valley  of  Mena,  where  they  throw  seven 
stones  at  each  of  three  pillars,  in  imitation  of  Abraham,  and  some  say 
also  of  Adam,  who  drove  away  the  devil  from  this  spot  with  stones,  when 
disturbed  by  him  in  his  devotions. 

Such  are  the  main  ceremonies  which  form  this  great  Moslem  rite  of 
pilgrimage  ;  but  before  concluding  this  sketch  of  Islam  faith,  and  dosing 
this  legendary  memoir  of  its  founder,  we  cannot  forbear  to  notice  one  of 
his  innovations,  which  has  entailed  perplexity  on  all  his  followers,  and 
particular  inconvenience  on  pious  pilgrims. 

The  Arabian  year  consists  of  twelve  lunar  months,  containing  alter- 
nately thirty  and  twenty-nine  days,  and  making  three  hundred  and  fifty- 
four  in  the  whole,  so  that  eleven  days  were  lost  in  every  solar  year.  To 
make  up  the  deficiency,  a  thirteenth  or  wandering  month  was  added  to 
every  third  year,  previous  to  the  era  of  Mahomet,  to  the  same  effect  as  one 
day  is  added  in  the  Christian  calendar  to  every  leap-year.  Mahomet,  who 
was  uneducated  and  ignorant  of  astronomy,  retrenched  this  thirteenth  or 
intercalary  month,  as  contrary  to  the  divine  order  of  revolutions  of  the 
moon,  and  reformed  the  calendar  by  a  divine  revelation  during  his  last 
pilgrimage.  This  is  recorded  in  the  ninth  sura  or  chapter  of  the  Koran 
to  the  following  effect : — 

"For  the  number  of  months  is  twelve,  as  was  ordained  by  Allah,  and 
recorded  on  the  eternal  tables  *  on  the  day  wherein  he  created  the  heaven 
and  the  earth. 

"  Transfer  not  a  sacred  month  unto  another  month,  for  verily  it  is  an 
innovation  of  the  infidels." 

eller,  Burckhardt ;  who,  in  the  disguise  of  a  pilgrim,  visited  these  shrines,  and  complied 
with  all  the  forms  and  ceremonials.  His  work  throws  great  light  upon  the  manners  and 
customs  of  the  East,  and  practice  of  the  Mahometan  faith. 

The  facts  related  by  Burckhardt  nave  been  collated  with  those  of  other  travellers  and 
writers,  and  many  particulars  have  been  interwoven  with  them  from  other  sources. 

*  The  eternal  tables  or  tablet  was  of  white  pearl,  extended  from  east  to  west  and  from 
earth  to  heaven.  All  the  decrees  of  God  were  recorded  on  it,  and  all  events  past,  pres 
ent,  and  to  come,  to  all  eternity.    It  was  guarded  by  angels. 


FAITH  OF  ISLAM.  367 

The  number  of  days  thus  lost  amount  in  33  years  to  363.  It  becomes 
necessary,  therefore,  to  add  an  intercalary  year  at  the  end  of  each  thirty- 
third  year  to  reduce  the  Mahometan  into  the  Christian  era. 

One  great  inconvenience  arising  from  this  revelation  of  the  prophet 
is,  that  the  Moslem  months  do  not  indicate  the  season  ;  as  they  com- 
mence earlier  by  eleven  days  every  year.  This  at  certain  epochs  is  a  sore 
grievance  to  the  votaries  to  Mecca,  as  the  great  pilgrim  month  Dhu'l 
Hajji,  during  which  they  are  compelled  to  wear  the  Ihram,  or  half-naked 
pilgrim  garb,  runs  the  round  of  the  seasons,  occurring  at  one  time  in  the 
depth  of  winter,  at  another  in  the  fervid  heat  of  summer. 

Thus  Mahomet,  though  according  to  legendary  history  he  could  order 
the  moon  from  the  firmament  and  make  her  revolve  about  the  sacred 
house,  could  not  control  her  monthly  revolutions  ;  and  found  that  the 
science  of  numbers  is  superior  even  to  the  gift  of  prophecy,  and  sets  mir- 
acles at  defiant*. 


Date  Due 

/ 

,'fflAkLjL'T.     5fL/iC. 

^^^■^K^iL 

»i^»ite 

^Ste 

(f) 

BP75  .172  1868  v.l 
Mahomet  and  his  successors, 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00006  6649 


